China beefs up nuclear capability with more than 100 intercontinental missiles in new silos, report says
Although the Pentagon had already confirmed the existence of these facilities, it had not previously provided a public estimate of the scale of the deployment.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
China took a new step in expanding its strategic military capability by loading more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles in newly built silo fields near its border with Mongolia, according to a draft U.S. Department of Defense report cited by Reuters.
The assessment indicates that Beijing has likely deployed more than 100 solid-fueled DF-31 intercontinental missiles in three newly built silo complexes. Although the Pentagon had already confirmed the existence of these facilities, it had not previously offered a public estimate of the extent of the deployment.
The document does not identify specific missile targets and warns that its contents could be modified before its formal submission to Congress.
Accelerated nuclear expansion
The Pentagon concludes that China is expanding and modernizing its nuclear forces at a faster pace than any other atomic-armed power. The assessment stresses that this process is proceeding steadily and with little transparency.
Communist regime officials have rejected these findings, accusing Washington of trying to discredit China and deliberately misleading the international community.
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Taiwan and the risk of regional conflict
The report also warns that China is preparing to be able to fight and win a war over Taiwan by the end of 2027. Beijing claims the autonomous island as its own and has not ruled out the use of force.
The assessment indicates that the regime is developing long-range strike capabilities from the mainland that could affect U.S. military operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
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No progress on arms control
This scenario takes on added relevance with the upcoming expiration of the 2010 New START Treaty, the last existing U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control agreement.
Some analysts warn that extending the treaty without China's participation could harm U.S. national security interests. Gordon Chang argued that this is not the time to accept an extension of the agreement with Moscow, seeing Russia and China as acting as de facto allies vis-à-vis Washington.
Chang said that as long as Beijing continues to reject all U.S. efforts to control nuclear weapons adamantly, any treaty that excludes China would be of no strategic value to the United States.
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