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China building up nuclear arsenal ‘in response to US pressure’
- Analysts say Beijing is focusing on submarines and ground-launched missiles as Pentagon forecasts country will have 1,000 warheads by end of decade
- One source says China could produce more nuclear weapons at short notice but sees no need to do so just now
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China is focusing on developing more submarine-launched and ground-based nuclear missiles amid increasing pressure from the United States, Chinese defence analysts have said.
A report released by the Pentagon on Wednesday said China had expanded its nuclear capacity on land, sea and air, estimating the country could have up to 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027 and at least 1,000 by 2030.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the report had “disregarded facts and was full of prejudice and bias” that aimed at “stirring up the China nuclear threat theory”.
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He told a scheduled press briefing that Beijing had a “no first use” policy, adding “no country will be threatened by China’s nuclear weapons”.
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Wang said: “China always firmly pursues a self-defence strategy … and consistently keeps the scale of its nuclear arsenals at the lowest level that is enough to protect national security.”
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