US intelligence agencies believe China is developing a new generation of nuclear weapons and may have conducted at least one covert explosive test in recent years, a CNN report said, citing multiple sources familiar with the assessment.
Alleged test part of the upgrade
According to the news outlet, the alleged test was part of a broader effort by Beijing to transform its nuclear arsenal into what could become the world’s most technologically advanced stockpile.
CNN reported that the U.S. assessment has sparked debate in the intelligence community and among policymakers about whether China’s leadership has shifted its long-term nuclear strategy. Historically, China has argued that its nuclear capabilities are for self-defense and deterrence, backed by a decades-old no-first-use policy. However, the portal noted that China’s proposal on global governance by 2023 does not explicitly refer to this commitment, raising further questions.
China is closing the gap with the US and Russia
The reported expansion and modernization of China’s nuclear forces is said to be moving it closer to parity with the United States and Russia, the two dominant nuclear powers.
According to the report, US officials fear that Chinese investment could bring technical capabilities that neither Washington nor Moscow currently possess.
