China to Increase Nuclear Warheads to 1,500, Pentagon Warns

China to Increase Nuclear Warheads to 1,500, Pentagon Warns
China's Leader Xi Jinping arrives to attend the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC summit in Bangkok on Nov. 19, 2022. Jack Taylor/Pool Photo via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:

WASHINGTON—China is expanding its nuclear force and is on pace to nearly quadruple the number of warheads it has by 2035, rapidly closing its gap with the United States, the Pentagon said in a report released Tuesday.

The report builds on the military’s warning last year that China is expanding its nuclear force much faster than U.S. officials had predicted, highlighting a broad and accelerating buildup of military muscle designed to enable Beijing to match or surpass U.S. global power by mid-century.