China may have about 1000 nuclear warheads by 2030 – Pentagon report
Xi Jinping and the Chinese army (Photo: EPA/XINHUA )

China may be preparing for a "national total war" and may have about 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. About it says in the annual report of the US Department of Defense.

The report states that as of 2024, China had more than 600 warheads in service. While in 2020, their stockpile was estimated at about 200 warheads.

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The Pentagon estimates that by 2030, China will have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads, most of which will be deployed on systems capable of hitting targets in the United States. The growth of the stockpile is likely to continue until 2035.

China is also modernizing its delivery, early warning, and command and control systems, building a "more flexible and resilient" nuclear force, the report said. In 2024, China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean for the first time since 1980. The Pentagon sees this as a demonstration of growing confidence in its full nuclear capabilities.

China, according to the Pentagon, sees future conflicts as a competition of national systems rather than individual military clashes. The concept of "national total war" includes economic resilience, industrial mobilization, information control, and integration of civilian and military resources.

The United States does not rule out that Beijing is taking into account the experience of Russia's war against Ukraine as it prepares to maintain a protracted conflict and resist international pressure.

The Pentagon does not predict a direct war involving China until 2027. However, it notes that the scale and integration of the country's modernization are fundamentally changing the risk landscape in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

  • on December 10, the Danish intelligence service for the first time called the United States a potential threat security.
  • On the same day, Ukrainian intelligence reported to President Zelenskyy that China and Russia strengthen cooperation.
  • On December 21, NATO Secretary General said that if China attacks Taiwan, Russia can attack Europe. The Alliance must be ready, Rutte emphasized.