Beijing's ambiguity on its nuclear arsenal continues with contradictory claims

Beijing's ambiguity on nuclear arsenal oscillates between contradicting claims on modernization and expansion, according to Hongkong Post.

In early November 2021, Pentagon's report suggested that China was rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, going as far as to say that they may have approximately 700 within six years and 1,000 warheads by the year 2030.

Pentagon's report clearly indicates that China is on the track of significant expansion of its nukes and raises concern over Beijing's increasingly aggressive stance.

Meanwhile, China's Military Power reports that from 2020 had estimated an increase to 400 warheads in the same time period. In their report, the Pentagon clearly stated that the People's Republic of China aimed to diversify and equip their nuclear forces with modern equipment.

Further, by next decade China would expand its nuclear delivery platforms, whether land, sea or air-based and infrastructure development for the same has already begun, according to Pentagon Report.

On the other hand, Beijing outright rejected the idea that they were rapidly expanding their Nuclear arsenal instead of opting to say that they have had meaningful contribution towards the leaders of the five primary N-weapon States issuing collective statements on preventing nuclear war, as analyzed by Hongkong Post.

Fu Cong, the Director-General of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Arms Control Department, also supplied the same response. The five-member countries permanently on the UN Security Council (P5) - China, France, Russia, UK and US, jointly issued the statement focussing on the idea that a nuclear war could not be won and therefore should not be fought.

Further stating that nuclear power should only be used for the purpose of preventing wars and deterring aggression as long as they exist. Fu Cong expressed that he was hopeful that the P5 would commit to a no-first-use policy with regards to their nuclear weapons as reported by Hongkong Post.

The predictions made by Pentagon were based on satellite imagery showing new infrastructure (missile silos) in the northwestern part of the country. Fu only commented that satellite photos could not be used to determine the size of China's arsenal at this time, as per the Hongkong Post.

Considering the growing tensions between China and US over Taiwan, and between Russia and US over Ukraine, the talk on reducing nuclear arsenals seems like a lost cause.

( With inputs from ANI )

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