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China is expanding its nuclear arsenal much more quickly than anticipated, narrowing the gap with the United States, the Pentagon said in its latest report, pointing out that Beijing could have as many as 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027, and could top 1,000 by 2030 – an arsenal two-and-a-half times the size of what the Pentagon predicted only a year ago.
The report said that China is actively investing in, and expanding its land, sea, and air-based means to deploy nuclear weapons, building the infrastructure necessary to support this major expansion of its nuclear forces, not unlike the other two leading nuclear powers – the United States and Russia.
The Pentagon, however, said that it is unlikely that China is seeking a capability to launch an unprovoked nuclear strike on a nuclear-armed adversary – primarily the United States – but this current expansion is aimed at deterring attacks from others by maintaining a credible threat of nuclear retaliation.
SOURCE- input from agencies