China’s rapid growth of its nuclear arsenal can be a threat to the US, American General Anthony Cotton has warned. General Anthony Cotton warned the Senate Armed Services Committee about the threat of China’s rapid growth of its nuclear arsenal, but China is still far from being a threat to the US, The Singapore Post reported. Recent geographical developments in China show the country’s rapid building of missile silos which house its missiles. Beijing had 229 new fields under construction at Hami and Yumen, created as recently as 2021.
As per the sources, China has a total of 350 warheads, which are ready to use, of which, 248 ballistic missiles are for land use, and 72 ballistic missiles are for deployment in the sea.
The Chinese nuclear arsenal has also seen a growth in the number of road-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) along with its strategic nuclear submarines. Moreover, the construction of more than 200 new missile silos on China’s mainland has rival countries wary of Beijing’s intentions. This recent increment suddenly surpasses the non-threatening count of 20 silo-based ICBMs the country has maintained for the last two decades.
China has succeeded in creating a well-functioning triad of nuclear power, having acquired missiles which work across land, air and sea.