Reuters: China Builds Up Its Arsenal of Nuclear-Capable Missiles
A report from Reuters says China's nuclear arsenal is the fastest-growing in the world, leading to concerns over what it could mean for the region's security situation.
China's Rapid Military Buildup: Nuclear Arsenal Expansion Raises Global Concerns
REPORTER:
We’ve heard the word ‘nuclear’ come up often in the Asia-Pacific region this year. Now there’s a report from Reuters pointing to a growing stockpile of Chinese nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.
REPORTER:
China’s arsenal is growing faster than that of any other nuclear power. A recent report cited by Reuters says that the country has placed 100 ICBMs into silos close to the Mongolian border. Although that is deep inland, some missiles have ranges exceeding 15,000 kilometers, meaning they can strike targets in the continental US, let alone in the Indo-Pacific.
William Yang (INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP):
China's rise in their missile capabilities and the expansion of their rocket force has definitely been a focus of the overall global observation of China's military modernization.
It comes at a time when the People's Liberation Army continues its very aggressive military operations.
And at the same time, the commitment and credibility of US defense commitment to its allies across the region has also been put to question.
REPORTER:
Although the report did not mention any targets, it does indicate that China’s arsenal – which stood at about 600 warheads last year – could nearly double to 1000 by 2030. That’s amid concerns that Chinese President Xi Jinping could move to invade Taiwan in 2027.
REPORTER:
There’s a growing risk of nuclear proliferation across the Indo-Pacific. A recent report quoted a Japanese lawmaker saying the country should consider its own nuclear weapons, North Korea continues building up its nuclear program despite sanctions, and US President Donald Trump said he’d be interested in restarting nuclear testing, although no details have been announced.
REPORTER:
As China builds up its nuclear arsenal and regional powers look to do the same, this could be a huge shift in Asia’s security situation.
Scott Huang and Lery Hiciano, for TaiwanPlus.
