China’s Nuclear Arsenal Expansion Is a Direct Threat to the U.S.
China poses a continuing nuclear threat to the U.S. through a relentless effort to modernize and expand its nuclear arsenal and delivery capabilities.
The PLA is executing the fastest and largest peacetime nuclear buildup in history, moving from a “minimum deterrence” force of roughly 200 warheads a decade ago toward a force that multiple U.S. officials now project could approach numerical parity with the United States and Russia within four to five years. This is a direct military threat: more silos, more delivery platforms, new low-yield and tactical designs, and — per credible but contested reporting — a resumed covert testing program.