ABC News reported that according to the Pentagon's latest report on China's military power released on December 18, China has nearly tripled its nuclear warhead arsenal since 2020.
"The US Department of Defense estimates that China will possess more than 600 operational nuclear warheads by mid-2024," a senior US defense official told reporters.
"The People's Liberation Army continues to rapidly build up its nuclear arsenal, expected to exceed 1,000 warheads by 2030," said a senior US official.
China is also diversifying the types of nuclear weapons it is building, the official noted.
“China is trying to build a diversified nuclear force – which will include systems ranging from low-yield precision strike missiles to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), with different options, very different from the traditional,” the official said.
China's growing nuclear arsenal, while still small compared with those of the United States and Russia, is just one part of a broader strategy to build its influence on the international stage, the US official stressed.
The Chinese military is also making steady progress in modernizing its non-nuclear capabilities, according to the US official. "They are interested in developing a new conventional ICBM that can hit Hawaii, Alaska and the continental United States," the US official said.
The Pentagon report notes that China maintains a “no first use” policy for its nuclear forces — meaning it will not fire first — and its focus is on preventing a major counterattack.
All of this comes as China is expected to increase its defense spending. The Pentagon report estimates that China spends at least 40 percent more than its publicly disclosed defense budget, which could put China’s defense spending in 2024 at $330 billion to $450 billion.
The US defense budget remains the highest in the world, at $880 billion, and is expected to rise as Congress adds to it in the coming weeks.
In terms of numbers alone, the Chinese military dwarfs the Pentagon in size.
According to Politico, the Chinese Navy is the largest in the world, possessing more than 370 warships and submarines, including more than 140 large surface combatants. Several new destroyers, cruisers and amphibious ships are in various stages of construction in Chinese shipyards. Meanwhile, the US Navy has 290 warships.
Beijing's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is expected to enter service in 2025.
China's air force is ramping up production of its fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter and is building a new assembly plant to prepare for further expansion.
About 1,300 of China's 1,900 fighter jets are advanced fourth-generation fighters, comparable to some of the most modern aircraft built in the US and Europe.
