World News | China’s nuclear stockpile to surge from 400 to 1,500 by 2035: US report

washington [US]Nov 30 (ANI): In an effort to modernize, diversify and expand its nuclear force, China has accelerated its nuclear expansion and plans to deploy a stockpile of around 1,500 nuclear warheads ahead of its 2035 timeline.

The Pentagon said in a report titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC)” that Beijing may have accelerated its nuclear expansion last year beyond its active stockpile of 400 nuclear warheads.

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“The Department of Defense estimates that China has more than 400 active nuclear warheads in its inventory,” the U.S. Department of Defense said in the report.

“The PLA (People’s Liberation Army) plans to basically complete the modernization of its national defense and armed forces by 2035. If China continues its pace of nuclear expansion, it may deploy a stockpile of around 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035,” it added.

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According to the Pentagon, China aims to modernize, diversify and expand its nuclear forces over the next decade. Compared with the PLA’s nuclear modernization effort a decade ago, the current effort surpasses previous modernization attempts in scale and complexity, the report said.

“China is investing in and expanding the number of its land-, sea-, and space-based nuclear delivery platforms and building the necessary infrastructure to support a massive expansion of its nuclear force,” it added.

The Pentagon report said that in terms of “combat structures and activities around China,” China continues to refine military reforms related to the establishment of eastern, southern, western, northern and central theater commands based on its perception of peripheral threats.

According to the report, the western theater is facing the anti-terrorism mission on the border between India and China’s Central Asia. It is the largest theater in China geographically and is responsible for dealing with the conflict with India and the terrorist threat in western China.

According to the Pentagon, PLA units located in the Western Theater include the 76th and 77th Group Armies and ground forces attached to the Xinjiang and Tibet Military Regions; three air bases, one transport division, one flight academy; and a PLARF base.

“PAP forces responsible for internal security operations may also be under the control of the Western Theater Command. In China, the Western Theater Command focuses on the Xinjiang and Tibet Autonomous Regions, which the CCP considers to be a high threat of separatism and terrorism , especially among the Uyghur population in Xinjiang,” it added. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)