China’s nuclear arsenal will more than triple to reach 1,500 warheads by 2035, the Pentagon said in a report released on 29 November, underscoring the growing sophistication of the country’s air force.

Describing Beijing as the most important challenger to the US, Washington highlighted developments in both its nuclear and conventional forces in its annual report on China’s military. the report states: “China’s Ministry of Defence estimates that its operational stock of nuclear warheads exceeds 400. If China continues the pace of nuclear expansion, it will likely have a stockpile of around 1,500 warheads by 2035.”

Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said on 29 November that China’s increased nuclear arsenal would be a source of instability, he added: ‘’ The more spreads, the more alarming and destabilizing it will be for the region.’’ The report also stated that Beijing is working to modernize its ballistic missile arsenal and has conducted 135 missile launches during 2021. It is also among the information in the report that China is developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that will significantly improve its nuclear-capable missile powers.

Speaking ahead of the report’s release, a senior US defence official said that the Chinese air force is trying to advance rapidly on all fronts, including the equipment it uses, as well as its pilots and other personnel. The report targets the way China uses its military in the Asia-Pacific region and says it has adopted more coercive and aggressive actions.

As featured in C4Defence recently, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin met with Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe. The report stated that “through 2021 and 2022, Chinese ships and aircraft are at a great risk of incident or accident, with a sharp increase in unsafe and unprofessional behaviour.”