US intelligence agencies believe that China is developing a new generation of nuclear weapons and may have conducted at least one covert explosive test in recent years, according to a report by CNN citing multiple sources familiar with the assessments.
Alleged test part of modernization
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 US assessment has sparked debate within the intelligence community and among policymakers over whether China’s leadership has shifted its long-standing nuclear strategy. Historically, China has maintained that its nuclear capabilities are intended for self-defense and deterrence, underpinned by a decades-old no-first-use policy. However, the outlet noted that China’s 2023 proposal on global governance did not explicitly reference that commitment, raising further questions.
China closing gap with US and Russia
The reported expansion and modernization of China’s nuclear forces is said to be pushing it closer to peer status with the United States and Russia, the two dominant nuclear powers.
According to the news report, US officials are concerned that China’s investments could yield technical capabilities that neither Washington nor Moscow currently possess.
