‘Rapid Expansion’: China’s Nuclear Weapon Stockpile Is Way Bigger Than The Pentagon Previously Thought

China is undergoing a “rapid expansion” of its nuclear arsenal — and the country now has more than double the amount of warheads than the U.S. previously realized, according to a new Pentagon intelligence report.

The U.S. has become more and more concerned about China’s expansion of its military and its increasing hostilities toward ally states in the Pacific. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) believed in 2020 that China had built up an arsenal of 200 nuclear warheads, but the latest intelligence indicates that number is now beyond 500 warheads, according to a report from the agency released this week.

“China is undergoing the most rapid expansion and ambitious modernization of its nuclear forces in history — almost certainly driven by an aim for enduring strategic competition with the U.S. and a goal to actualize intensified strategic concepts that have existed for decades but are now being realized,” the DIA report reads. “China is fielding new nuclear capabilities at a faster pace than any time in its history.”

In 2020, the Pentagon thought China would likely obtain 400 nuclear warheads by 2030, but the country has raced past that estimate in record time, according to the DIA report. Now, the Pentagon believes that China will have at least 1,000 operational warheads by 2030.

China is likely doing this with “an aim for enduring strategic competition with the U.S. and a goal to actualize intensified strategic concepts that have existed for decades but are now being realized,” the DIA report reads. It is likely China is operating on a “no first use” basis — it would wait to be attacked until it retaliates with such weapons. The caveat to that is that the Chinese military has a “Launch-on-warning” policy, wherein it could launch a counter strike before a strike against China detonates.

The arsenal is made up of a variety of different nuclear warheads, which could be launched via submarine, ground-mobile and air-based launchers, according to the DNI report. China is also building new facilities to expand its production of uranium and other fissile materials used to create the weapons.