By Alastair Gale
FRANKFURT (Dow Jones) — China has accelerated the build-up of its nuclear arsenal because of a shift in its assessment of the threat posed by the United States. So say people familiar with the thinking of the Chinese leadership. This sheds new light on the buildup, which is increasing tensions between the two countries. China’s nuclear efforts were evident well before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but US reluctance to get involved directly there likely reinforced Beijing’s decision to prioritize nuclear weapons development as a deterrent, so some of these people.
The Chinese leadership sees a stronger nuclear arsenal as a way of preventing the United States from being directly involved in a possible conflict over Taiwan. Recent developments include this year speeding up work on more than 100 suspected missile silos in China’s remote western region that could house nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the US, analysts say Examine satellite images of the area.
US politicians have said the background to China’s nuclear push is unclear. Independent security analysts covering nuclear proliferation say they are also unclear about what is driving Beijing. The people close to the Chinese leadership said China’s increased focus on nuclear weapons is also fueled by fears that Washington may seek to overthrow the communist government in Beijing after the US took a hawkish turn under the Trump and Biden administrations in their China policy.
Publicly, China has downplayed its nuclear ambitions. “As for the US claims that China is dramatically expanding its nuclear capabilities, I would first like to say that this is not true,” Fu Cong, director-general of the State Department’s Arms Control Branch, said earlier this year. He said China is working to upgrade its nuclear deterrent to the minimum level required for national defence. The Chinese leadership believed that nuclear weapons were of limited value as they did not present realistic options for most wars.
According to people familiar with the leadership’s thinking, a sea change occurred in early 2020 as the US administration tightened its stance on Beijing in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Harsh criticism of the Communist Party by senior Trump administration officials has led to a consensus among Chinese leaders that Washington is willing to take greater risks to halt China’s rise, some said.
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DJG / DJN / ros
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 09, 2022 09:20 ET (13:20 GMT)
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