China is continuing its nuclear expansion, strengthening ties with Russia, and increasing military pressure against Taiwan over the past year, according to a new Defense Department report. ' examine actions that accelerate key areas of conflict with the US
The report, released Wednesday, also noted that the recent spate of corruption allegations within China's powerful Central Military Commission, which oversees the People's Liberation Army, is hurting Beijing's military growth. and that it could slow down their renewal drive.
A senior defense official said China has made progress in some of its programs but slipped back in others.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the US assessment, warned that Beijing is working to develop a more diverse and technologically advanced nuclear force. While the expected number of nuclear warheads has maintained steady growth, China is expanding its targeting capabilities.
Beijing is going to be able to go after more and different types of targets, do more damage and have more options for multiple rounds of counterattacks, the official said. The US is urging China to be more transparent about its nuclear program, while also warning that America will protect its allies and take appropriate measures in response.
According to the report, which provides an annual US assessment of China's military power and is required by Congress, By mid-2024, China had more than 600 active nuclear warheads, and the Pentagon expected to have more than 1,000 by 2030. The Pentagon's estimate of China's current stockpile of nuclear warheads is about 100 more than it was published in last year's report, but that reflects the change in estimate, not the pace of production.
The Biden administration has been working to maintain a balance with China, building up the US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region to be ready to counter Beijing while also encouraging greater engagement between the two. country at the diplomatic and military levels.
That increase in negotiations has coincided with a reduction in mandatory and dangerous interceptions of US aircraft from the end of 2023, compared to the previous two years. China is still, however, conducting what the US military considers “unsafe” flights near American forces and associated with the region.
The Pentagon's national defense strategy is based on the assessment that China is the biggest security challenge to the US, and the threat from Beijing affects how the US military is equipped and organized. for the future.
Corruption within the PLA has led to the expulsion of at least 15 high-ranking officers in a major overhaul of China's defense establishment.
“This wave of corruption is touching all services in the PLA, and may have shaken Beijing's confidence,” the report said.
In June, China announced that former Defense Minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor, Wei Fenghe, had been expelled from the ruling Communist Party on corruption charges. Last month, another senior official, Miao Hua, was suspended and placed under investigation, according to China's Defense Ministry.
The US report indicates an increased Chinese military presence around Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own. They said that the Chinese navy has been in the area more and that there have been more routes into the air defense identification zone of the island and major military exercises in the area.
Just last week, a large deployment of Chinese navy and coast guard vessels in the waters around Taiwan raised alarm as Taiwanese officials said it looked like China was simulating a blockade. Officials have said as many as 90 ships were involved in what Taiwan said were two walls designed to show that the waters belonged to China.
Taiwan split from communist China in 1949 and has rejected Beijing's demands for reunification. China says it will do so by force if necessary, and leaders have said they want to be ready to do so by 2027.
The United States is obligated under domestic law to help defend Taiwan and to provide it with weapons and technology to deter aggression.
The island democracy has been a major source of tension between Washington and Beijing for decades and is widely seen as the most likely trigger for a potentially catastrophic war between the US and China.
More broadly, the report concluded that the PLA continued its push to develop more military capabilities but “made uneven progress toward the 2027 milestone” for modernization.
One area of expansion, the report said, is with unmanned aerial systems, which officials said are “quickly approaching US standards.” “
As for Russia, the report said that China has provided support Russia's war against Ukraine and sold Russia dual-use materials on which Moscow's military industry depends. Dual-use items can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
contributed to this report.
