China is rapidly increasing the number of nuclear warheads, and Russia provides uranium for their production - US Defence Ministry
The Pentagon believes that by 2030 China could double the number of warheads from the current 500
China is building hundreds of mines in the western regions of the country to house intercontinental ballistic missiles, rapidly building up its nuclear retaliatory capabilities. The uranium for the production of nuclear warheads for these missiles is supplied by Russia.
Vipin Narang, acting assistant secretary of defence for space policy, was quoted by Newsweek as warning about this.
"We estimate that China has most likely completed construction of the silos and has begun to deploy missiles in them," Narang said at an event organised by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The expansion of China's mines is being facilitated by Russia, as Moscow supplies China with highly enriched uranium reactor fuel, which is used to produce plutonium.
Beijing has begun to rapidly expand and modernise its nuclear arsenal. Although its size is now significantly smaller than that of the United States and Russia, the Pentagon believes that by 2030 China could double the number of warheads from the current 500.
In the autumn and winter of 2022, Russia shipped uranium to China for a fast neutron reactor located on Changbao Island.
"TVEL, Rosatom's fuel company, completed the shipment of fuel at the end of December, announcing that with the launch of the first CFR-600 unit, the Xiapu NPP "will become the only nuclear power plant outside Russia with a high-capacity fast reactor."
After the launch, the reactor will start producing weapons-grade plutonium, Bloomberg reported in March 2023, citing US intelligence.
Thanks to Russian supplies and the operation of this reactor, by 2035 the number of warheads in China could increase to 1,500 and destabilise the military balance in the Asian region, the Pentagon believes.
Background. As a reminder, China claims that its "peace plan" for Ukraine is supported by more than 110 countries. The plan, presented together with Brazil, does not mention Ukraine's territorial integrity or the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
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