Signal China's rapid nuclear expansion points to parity with the United States by the mid-2030s

Summary

China's nuclear capability, still well behind that of the United States, is being expanded at a rapid pace. A widely held projection cited by the report expects US and Chinese nuclear capabilities to reach a point of balance by the mid-2030s. Until now Korea and Japan, as US allies under overwhelming American military power, have effectively deterred China's attempts to change the regional status quo by force. The report warns that, with this shift under way, the two countries located on the main stage of US-China military competition will face a major challenge. It treats the narrowing nuclear gap as one of the forces reshaping the East Asian military balance.