China Must Bulk Up Its Nuclear Arsenal
Not a day goes by without the US raising the specter of China as an existential threat. Joining the fray, the Pentagon issued an alarming report in 2023 over China's faster expansion of its nuclear arsenal, which, it claimed, went from 400 warheads in 2022 to 500 in May 2023 and is projected to reach 1,500 by 2035. This is great news. China's so-called "sharp" development of nuclear weapons is overdue. A stronger nuclear stance will deter adversaries from blackmailing and launching nuclear strikes. To America, China's "rapid" nuclear modernization threatens the nuclear balance and poses as an "existential challenge" to its security. Upon reviewing the Pentagon report, Congress members declared that the Chinese buildup is a wake-up call to speed up the overhaul of US nuclear forces. The White House urged the Chinese government to come to the negotation table in the hope of striking a deal over arms control. The numbers bely the American cla