US defense report: China could have 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035
November 30th Cnn The Pentagon has released a report that China’s stockpile of nuclear warheads has surpassed 400 in a fraction of the time previously estimated by the United States. China is focused on accelerating its nuclear expansion. as he attempted to challenge the United States as the world’s supreme power
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Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-41 ballistic missiles during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China in Beijing in October 2019.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
The Pentagon’s 2022 China Military Power report, released on Tuesday Nov. 29, said the United States estimated that in 2020 China has fewer than 200 nuclear warheads and its stockpile is expected to double within the next 10 years, but only two years after. China has met that goal and could have around 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 if it continues to expand its nuclear stockpile to current levels.
A senior defense official said in a briefing on the latest Pentagon report that “What we’ve really seen in the last couple of years is an acceleration of growth. “We are seeing a range of capabilities taking shape and numbers growing in terms of what China is looking for, a persistence that raises some questions about China’s long-term intentions.”
The latest Pentagon report says that China, the most populous country in the world, is using its expanding military as one of the tools to build an international system that facilitates its worldview. This poses the most systemic and consequential challenge to US national security. and increased nuclear capabilities away from what China called “A compact and effective nuclear deterrent. And China’s investment in nuclear weapons in a trio of naval, land and air nuclear releases is a cause for concern for the United States.
The report said that China also conducted 135 ballistic missile tests in 2021, more than the entire world combined. This does not include ballistic missiles used in the Ukrainian war.
Officials also provided new details about the hypersonic missile test. (Hyper Sonic) in July 2021 cruising around the world before hitting Chinese targets. a feat that drew attention to the lagging US development of hypersonic weapons. officials said China’s hypersonic missile system travels 40,000km and represents the longest journey by a Chinese land-attack weapon to date.
The Chinese military, formally known as the People’s Liberation Army It is also developing space and anti-space weapons. He sees advanced technology as a way to deter outside interference in military conflicts in the region.
The Pentagon reports China, with nearly one million active service armies, is the largest navy in the world by number of ships. and the third largest air force in the world. Earlier, the 2022 US National Defense Strategy released last month. Identifying China as a challenge to the United States. This is a point that top Pentagon leaders have always stressed.
Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a news release earlier this month that “China is the only country that has the geopolitical potential to pose a significant challenge to the United States. Given its population, technology, economy, nanotechnology and many other things, China is the greatest geopolitical challenge for the United States.”
BEIJING, Oct. 1, 2019 — The Dongfeng-41 nuclear missile formation participates in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Photo by Xia Yifang/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/Xia Yifang via Getty Images)
Tensions between China and the United States are often related to Taiwan. what democracy and self-government China sees Taiwan as an important part of its sovereign territory. including the South China Sea And US defense officials have already said that China intends to use military force to seize Taiwan by 2027.
In the Pentagon report Which indicates the official title that In its “military and security developments concerning the People’s Republic of China”, the United States does not expect China to invade Taiwan, instead seeing them as increasing diplomatic, economic, political and military pressure on Taiwan.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s historic visit to Taiwan in August It is a new stage in China’s efforts. As China uses the visit to try and create a new normal across Taiwan. The defense official said since China crosses the Taiwan Strait more often than in the past and there is more maritime activity around Taiwan. and a large number of Chinese warplanes flying in Taiwan’s declared air defense zone.
“Even if we don’t see an imminent invasion. Rather, it is a higher level of intimidation and coercive activities throughout Taiwan,” the official said.
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The Pentagon report also examined the relationship between Russia and China. The two countries released a joint statement on February 4, signaling their desire for continued partnership and cooperation. China and Russia have “complementary interests” in terms of national security and a common approach to international relations. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a few weeks later complicated that relationship in ways that may not yet be fully apparent.
“Of course this will be an area where we and other observers in Europe and elsewhere have been paying close attention. We see that China continues to support Russia diplomatically. And promote their mass propaganda and false information. And that’s an area of particular concern,” the defense official said.
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