TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — According to the Pentagon's latest report on China's military power, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) currently has over 500 operational nuclear warheads and is increasing pressure against Taiwan.
According to the annual "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China" report released by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on Thursday (Oct. 19), China currently has over 500 operational nuclear warheads, putting it on track to exceed previous predictions. The report also reaffirms U.S. concerns about Beijing's coercive tactics employed on Taiwan.
In the extensive 212-page report, the DoD stated that as of May 2023, China has more than 500 operational nuclear warheads, and is projected to increase this number to over 1,000 by 2030. Just two years ago, the DoD estimated that the PLA had over 400 operational nuclear warheads.
Regarding the advancement of the PLA's nuclear capabilities, a senior defense official was cited by the DoD as telling reporters on Wednesday (Oct. 18), "We see the PRC continuing to quite rapidly modernize and diversify and expand its nuclear forces." He added, "What they're doing now, if you compare it to what they were doing about a decade ago, it really far exceeds that in terms of scale and complexity. . ."
Despite the increase in China's nuclear arsenal, it still falls far below the numbers possessed by Russia and the United States. The United States has a stockpile of approximately 3,700 nuclear warheads, with around 1,419 deployed as strategic nuclear warheads. Russia has deployed about 1,550 nuclear warheads, and according to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia's nuclear warhead inventory stands at 4,489.
The Pentagon report also pointed out that the People's Liberation Army Navy has more than 370 ships and submarines, an increase from the 340 reported the previous year. Chinese leader Xi Jinping's (習近平) pursuit of making China a prominent regional military power places significant importance on the expansion of the navy, and Beijing now possesses the world's largest navy.
The report mentioned Taiwan 261 times and focused on U.S. concerns about Beijing's stepped-up pressure on Taiwan. It noted that throughout 2022, the PLA has ramped up aggressive actions around the Taiwan Strait such as "ballistic missile overflights of Taiwan, increased flights into Taiwan’s self-declared air defense identification zone, and large-scale simulated joint blockade and simulated joint firepower strike operations."
The paper noted that in 2022 Xi reaffirmed his commitment to achieving the 2027 milestone for the PLA to have the capability of seizing Taiwan. The PLA engaged in still more coercive actions in the Indo-Pacific region which included "lasing; reckless maneuvers; close approaches in the air or at sea; high rates of closure; discharging chaff or flares in close proximity to aircraft; and ballistic missile overflights of Taiwan."
Map shows bases of PLA in Eastern Theater Command. (DoD screenshot)
Map shows rang of PLA missiles in Asia-Pacific Region. (DoD screenshot)
Map shows range of PLA missiles in Northern Hemishphere. (DoD screenshot)
