China has over 600 operational nuclear warheads, and by 2030, this number will touch 1,000. There is also an increase in diversity and capabilities of China's arsenal, such as precision strike capable missiles with lower yield nuclear warheads, a report released by the US defence department—'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China'—revealed.
The congressionally mandated annual report offers insight into the capabilities, strategies, and goals of China and its military.
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The report reveals that China's public defense budget increased in inflation-adjusted prices to $220 billion for 2023, allowing Beijing to focus on modernisation of weapons, recruitment, and boosting the strategic capabilities of its armed forces. The country is also making investments in nuclear expansion and space and counter-space capabilities.
According to Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, the report talks not just about expansion in numbers, but also increase in quality, growing technological sophistication, and the increasing diversity of China's nuclear arsenal.
"(What) we have seen over time is that they have expanded to a nuclear triad, with the PLA Navy having ballistic missile submarines, conducting deterrence patrols, as we cover in the report, and that the PLA Air Force has also regained a nuclear deterrence and strike mission with the addition of nuclear-capable bombers," Chase has been quoted as saying.
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The increase in diversity and capabilities such as precision strike capable missiles with lower yield nuclear warheads give China a wider range of options in terms of the kinds of nuclear deterrence operations.
Growing Russia-China ties
The report also focuses on increased military cooperation between China and its allies, especially Russia. Beijing has been supporting Russia for its ongoing war in Ukraine and the two countries have been holding joint military exercises, including joint bomber patrols.
"The PRC (People's Republic of China) is probably going to want to exert more leverage, to kind of extract greater cooperation from Russia in areas where Russia historically has been more reluctant...In the Arctic, for example, would be one example where that might take place," Chase said.
Corruption in PLA
The report also highlights the growing corruption in the People's Liberation Army and China's efforts to put an end to it. Corruption touches every service in the PLA, the report noted.
Last year, corruption-related investigations led to the ouster of at least 15 high-ranking military officers and defense industry executives, including defence minister Li Shangfu.
The report suggest that the corruption could relate to such things as major military construction projects as well as research development and acquisition programmes.