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Beijing Expands Nuclear, Missile Arsenals, U.S. Says
China is upgrading its nuclear arsenal and deploying more sophisticated missiles able to target “virtually all of the United States,” according to a new assessment released yesterday by the U.S. Defense Department (see GSN, July 18). “It’s starting to give them a second strike capability against the U.S.,” said Roger Cliff, a military analyst at the RAND Corp. In addition, China is increasing deployment of its CSS-6 and CSS-7 short-range ballistic missiles on the coast opposite Taiwan by about 100 missiles each year, the Pentagon report says. Chinese military expenditures could grow to $90 billion this year — triple Beijing’s official numbers — outpaced only by Russian and U.S. defense spending, according to the Pentagon report. “Without a doubt, the direction Chinese military modernization has taken in recent years absolutely represents a growing threat to the U.S.,” said Evan Medeiros, an expert on China’s military at the RAND Corp. The warning last week by Chinese Gen. Zhu Chenghu that Beijing would use nuclear weapons in response to any U.S. military intervention on its territory likely had at least implicit support from the Chinese leadership, U.S. analysts familiar with Zhu told the Post. “They think it’s good to have a mad dog in your closet who might scare your potential adversaries,” said retired Adm. Dennis Blair, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. “It always helps your leverage if your adversaries think you might do something stupid” (Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post, July 20).
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