China’s nuclear threat only keeping up with US advances, Chinese experts say

Name: Nato says China presents ‘systemic challenges’
Uploaded: 2021-10-19T07:04:18.000Z
Duration: 3 min 29 s
Description: Nato says China presents ‘systemic challenges’

Country’s minimal deterrent policy remains but has to adjust to newer American missile defence systems, they argue

Reports that China launched a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August were denied by Beijing

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

China has tested hypersonic aircraft but denied it launched a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August. Photo: Handout

Amber Wang

Published: 3:04pm, 19 Oct 2021Updated: 11:21pm, 19 Oct 2021

China is updating its nuclear weapons stockpile to keep up with the United States and ensure that it can maintain a minimum level of deterrence, Chinese observers said.

Responding to comments by US officials that China’s missile development was a serious concern, the analysts said China’s deterrence needs and strategy had evolved and were not the same as they were three decades ago.

But an American diplomat said the United States was itself responding to use of hypersonic missiles for military applications by China and Russia.

03:29

Nato says China presents ‘systemic challenges’

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Tuesday that China was deviating from its minimal nuclear deterrence strategy, with 250 ballistic missile launches between January and September and other moves such as its development of delivery systems.

“These developments underscore that [China], as we’ve said before, is deviating from its decades-long nuclear strategy based on minimum deterrence,” Price said.

In nuclear strategy, minimal deterrence means possessing no more nuclear weapons than are necessary to deter an adversary from attacking.

According to Chinese policy documents, China will “maintain nuclear power at the lowest level required for national security”.