It wouldn’t be a new cold war without an accelerating nuclear arms race. The Pentagon reported last week that China is undertaking a significant nuclear buildup, which will double the size of its arsenal by 2030. That development isn’t surprising, given China’s strategic situation. But it’s still distinctly challenging for the U.S., because it compounds the worsening military situation in the western Pacific.
Since its first nuclear test in 1964, Beijing has possessed a relatively modest deterrent — an arsenal numbering first in the dozens and now in the low 200s of warheads.Read more…
