Advertisement
China’s third plenum shows it is ‘not in the mood’ to slow down on nuclear arms
- Analysts expect speedy boost to ‘quality and quantity’ of China’s nuclear arsenal, as Russian stand shows power of ‘strategic deterrence’
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
16
China’s third plenum shows it is “not in the mood” to restrain its nuclear weapons capability as it learns from Russia’s deterrence strategy in Ukraine, observers said after a key policy meeting of the ruling Communist Party.
Advertisement
However, they also warned about the risks of a nuclear arms race with the United States as Beijing sought “respect” for its core interests, especially Taiwan.
During the party’s third plenum last week, the Central Committee pledged to “speed up the development of strategic deterrence forces”, according to a detailed document of the committee’s decisions released on Sunday. The expression is generally taken to refer to nuclear prowess.
In order to develop a “new framework of [military] services and arms”, China would accelerate its “strategic deterrence forces, develop new-domain forces with new combat capabilities, while … [strengthening] traditional combat forces”, the document said.
Those are among a range of measures, from socioeconomic to military, to be realised by 2029 – when the People’s Republic celebrates its 80th anniversary.
China has rapidly expanded its nuclear arsenal in recent years. In 2021, President Xi Jinping made his first call to “speed up the creation of a high-quality strategic deterrence and joint combat system”.
Advertisement
Advertisement