China boosts its nuclear arsenal as world’s stockpile shrinks

China, India and Pakistan are modernising their weapons while Russia and the US shed old nuclear arms, say monitors

New threats such as chemical and biological weapons emerge, adding to global instability, finds peace research institute

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While the number of nuclear warheads in the world has fallen since a count in 2019, China, India, Britain, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea have increased their nuclear weapon stocks. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:30pm, 15 Jun 2020Updated: 10:25pm, 15 Jun 2020

China is one of the six countries that increased its nuclear arsenal in the past year, adding 30 warheads since a 2019 tally, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on Monday.

The five other countries were India, Britain, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea, the report said, but all increased by fewer than 20 warheads.

“China is in the middle of a significant modernisation and expansion of its arsenal, and India and Pakistan are also thought to be increasing the size of their nuclear arsenals,” the report said.

In China, military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles pass Tiananmen Square in October, 2019. Photo: Reuters

Despite six countries having increased the number of their nuclear warheads, global inventories continue to decline, according to the report. This is mainly because the owners of the two largest arsenals – Russia and the United States – have decreased their number of warheads, mostly to dismantle retired stocks.

“At the same time, both the USA and Russia have extensive and expensive programmes under way to replace and modernise their nuclear warheads, missile and aircraft delivery systems, and nuclear weapon production facilities,” the report said.

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China boosts its nuclear arsenal as world’s stockpile shrinks

China, India and Pakistan are modernising their weapons while Russia and the US shed old nuclear arms, say monitors New threats such as chemical and biological weapons emerge, adding to global instability, finds peace research institute

China, India and Pakistan are modernising their weapons while Russia and the US shed old nuclear arms, say monitors

New threats such as chemical and biological weapons emerge, adding to global instability, finds peace research institute