China plans to double the size of its nuclear stockpile, including intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S., said a Pentagon report on Tuesday.
This marks another point of contention in U.S-China relations as the Trump administration continues to double down on sanctions of Chinese officials and corporations tied to the South China Sea and China’s expansion efforts.
That said, the Pentagon has made it clear that the U.S. dwarfs China in nuclear capability, with over 3,800 active nuclear warheads. For China, this is yet another example of Chinese power projection through military strength.
According to the Pentagon, China has a nuclear stockpile in the “low 200’s,” marking the first time the Pentagon has ever shared government estimates on China’s nuclear stockpile.
As China continues to ramp up its stockpile, the Trump administration has worked to get China to agree on a trilateral pact between the U.S., China, and Russia to limit nuclear expansion between the countries.
