'Very concerning': Pentagon report says China could have 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030

Pentagon's latest report reveals alarming information that China is now rapidly closing the nuclear weapons gap with the US. The country is increasing its nuclear arsenal at a much faster rate than expected earlier, according to the report.

Contrary to what the Pentagon had predicted earlier, the latest report published on Wednesday says that China might possess 700 nuclear warheads by 2027, and over 1,000 by 2030. 

Also read | 'Absolutely', says top Pentagon general about US ability to defend Taiwan

Only a year ago, the Pentagon said that the country had about 200 deliverable warheads and would double that by 2030. the difference between the two predicted quantities is about two-and-a-half times.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) "is investing in, and expanding, the number of its land-based, sea-based, and air-based nuclear delivery platforms and constructing the infrastructure necessary to support this major expansion of its nuclear forces," said the US Department of Defense's annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments.

It said that like the United States and Russia, China is also building a "nuclear triad," which will be capable of delivering nuclear weapons from land-based missiles, from air-launched missiles, and from submarines.

The report states that China most likely just seeks to deter attacks from other nations by maintaining a nuclear retaliation threat, and not launch an 'unprovoked' nuclear attack on nuclear-armed adversaries such as the US. 

Watch | Gravitas: Why Xi Jinping is missing from the world stage

However, a US defence official said that the acceleration "is very concerning to us."

It "raises questions about their intentions," the official said, calling for more transparency from Beijing over its nuclear force development.

Independent researchers have in recent months published satellite photographs of new nuclear missile silos in western China.

Due to Beijing's plans to transform its People's Liberation Army into "world-class forces" by 2049, Pentagon officials have declared China their top security concern for the future.

As the US military has done for decades, China is expanding its air, space and sea forces to project its power globally.

There have been increased concerns about a possible US-China clash, especially over Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, but Taiwan denies, backed by the United States. 

Also read | COP26: China-Russia parries Biden jibe, criticise US on climate policies

China's rapid military modernization, according to the US report, aims to have by 2027 the capability to retake Taiwan despite any pushback by military force or diplomatic pressure.

By 2027, the report says, China aims to have "the capabilities to counter the US military in the Indo-Pacific region, and compel Taiwan’s leadership to the negotiation table on Beijing’s terms."