China expands its nuclear arsenal “faster” than the rest of the countries with this type of weapons, according to SIPRI

The organization assures that these nations are increasing their nuclear capacity or have plans to do so

June 17 () –

The Chinese government is expanding its nuclear arsenal “faster” than the other eight countries that possess this type of weaponry — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel — although all They are increasing it or have plans to do so, as reported by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

“China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country. But almost all nuclear-armed states have plans or a significant push to increase their nuclear forces,” said the associate researcher of SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Program and director of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Hans M. Kristensen.

In fact, the organization estimates that the Chinese nuclear arsenal has increased from 410 nuclear warheads to 500 between January 2023 and 2024, a figure that will continue to grow and could eventually have the same number of intercontinental ballistic missiles as Russia or the United States. end of the decade, although its nuclear arsenal would continue to be “much smaller” than theirs.

Moscow and Washington hold 90 percent of all nuclear weapons in the world and, although they have held this steady throughout 2023, transparency in this regard has decreased since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The two countries have about 1,200 nuclear warheads each that they have removed from military service for gradual dismantling.

In addition, it is estimated that Russia has deployed some 36 more warheads in its operational forces, although Russian claims regarding the deployment of these weapons in Belarusian territory cannot be confirmed.

“Although the global total of nuclear warheads continues to decline as Cold War-era weapons are gradually dismantled, we unfortunately continue to see year-on-year increases in the number of operational nuclear warheads. This trend appears likely to continue and will likely accelerate in coming years, so it is extremely worrying,” said SIPRI director Dan Smith.

Despite everything, diplomatic efforts between Beijing and Washington “seem to have expanded the space for dialogue” between both countries in matters of military communication.

ALMOST 10,000 NUCLEAR WADS READY FOR POTENTIAL USE

According to the institute’s own estimates, around 9,585 nuclear warheads of the total of 12,121 in the world are in nuclear arsenals “for potential use”, of which 2,100 are in a state of high operational alert in ballistic missiles. Most of them belong to Russia and the United States, although China is also believed to be in this group for the first time.

“We find ourselves in one of the most dangerous periods in human history. There are numerous sources of instability, political rivalries, economic inequalities, ecological disruptions and an accelerated arms race. The abyss is knocking at the door and it is time for the great powers take a step back and reflect. Preferably together,” Smith added.

This situation has been contributed to by Russia’s withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty after denouncing an “imbalance” with the United States, although the Kremlin assured that it would remain a signatory country. At the same time, it has continued to increase its nuclear rhetoric in the context of the war in Ukraine and a possible confrontation with NATO.

Russia also withdrew in February 2023 from the 2010 Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), so the United States also decided to suspend data sharing.

“We have not seen nuclear weapons play such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War. It is hard to believe that barely two years have passed since the leaders of the five largest nuclear-armed states jointly reaffirmed that ‘a nuclear war is not it can be won and it should never be fought,'” said the director of SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme, Wilfred Wan.

INCREASING THE NUCLEAR CAPACITY OF OTHER COUNTRIES

The governments of India, Pakistan and North Korea are seeking to increase the capacity to deploy multiple nuclear warheads with ballistic missiles to catch up with Russia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and China.

Pyongyang already has about 50 nuclear warheads and has material to reach the figure of 90, which represents a “significant increase” in SIPRI’s own estimates for 2023 and, although they have not carried out a nuclear explosion throughout the year, they have that have experimented with short-range ballistic missile launches or developed nuclear-capable land-attack cruise missiles.

“Like other nuclear-armed states, North Korea is placing new emphasis on developing its arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons. Consequently, there is growing concern that North Korea intends to use these weapons very soon.” in a conflict,” said Matt Korda, associate researcher of SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Program and Senior Investigator of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists.

Although Israel has not publicly acknowledged its possession of nuclear weapons, it is currently believed to be modernizing its nuclear arsenal and upgrading the Dimona plutonium production reactor.

Indeed, the start of the war in the Gaza Strip has undermined efforts to involve Israel in the Conference on the Establishment of a Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, in addition to causing an escalation of tensions. between Iran and the United States.

France, for its part, has continued with its programs to develop both a third-generation nuclear ballistic missile submarine and a new air-launched cruise missile, in addition to improving its systems.

Although the United Kingdom does not appear to have increased its nuclear arsenal, it is expected to do so, especially after the announcement in 2021 that it would increase its nuclear warheads from 225 to 260, and that it would stop publicly revealing the number of warheads deployed.