China to continue to 'modernise' nuclear arsenal day after P5 nations pledge to avoid war

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday, asserted that Beijing will continue to stockpile its nuclear arsenal, a day after the P5 countries - China, the USA, Russia, France and Britain - issued a joint statement, affirming their commitment towards their Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) obligations and pledged to prevent "an arms race that would benefit none." The five permanent UN Security Council (P5) members signed a pact reaffirming their goal of a nuke-free world on Monday, January 3.

However, on Tuesday, January 4, Fu Cong, director-general of the department of arms control at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters that Beijing "will continue to modernise its nuclear arsenal for reliability and safety issues".  

"China has always adopted the no first use policy and we maintain our nuclear capabilities at the minimal level required for our national security...China will continue to modernise its nuclear arsenal for reliability and safety issues," Fu Cong said.

Pointing out that the US and Russia still hold 90% of nuclear warheads in the world, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's arms control head added that these countries "must reduce their nuclear arsenal in an irreversible and legally binding manner."

'Importance' of responding to nuclear threats

China apparently reaffirmed the 'importance' of responding to nuclear threats, all the while acknowledging that avoiding wars among nuclear-weapon states was necessary and "reducing strategic risks are our primary responsibility." Beijing’s long-standing stance on its nuclear weapon policy and posture has posed a risk of global ramifications as the Communist regime often insisted that its nuclear arsenal is 'relatively meagre' as compared to those in possession of the United States and Russia.

According to a new report that outlined the Pentagon's new estimates, Beijing's tally of the nuclear warhead is expected to rise to around 400 within a decade. China could have up to 700 deliverable warheads by 2027 and at least 1,000 by 2030, the Pentagon report warned adding that the communist nation aims to become the global superpower and surpass the US by the middle of the 21st century. 

"The accelerating pace of the PRC’s nuclear expansion may enable the PRC to have up to 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027. The PRC likely intends to have at least 1,000 warheads by 2030, exceeding the pace and size the Department of Defense projected in 2020," a Pentagon report earlier warned highlighting Beijing’s aggressive behaviour towards Taiwan, India and continued assertive actions against countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The report also claimed that China has been rigorously expanding its land-sea-and air-based nuclear delivery platforms and has been boosting infrastructure for major advancement of its nuclear forces. Beijing will likely “at least double its warhead stockpile” as it currently possesses warheads “in the low 200s,” the US warned noting China’s military capabilities. Earlier US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Robert Ashley assessed that China hold nuclear weapons in “low couple of hundreds,” and Xi Jinping’s communist regime had stockpiled over 290 nuclear non-operational warheads by 2019, which includes dormant bomber weapons.