U.S. defense officials say Russia is supplying China with reactor fuel as the East Asian power loads its silos with nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), as it accelerates modernization of its nuclear forces.
“China’s silo expansion is being fueled by Russia—literally—as Moscow supplies China with highly enriched uranium [HEU] reactor fuel, which supports the production of weapons-grade plutonium,” said Vipin Narang, the acting assistant secretary of defense for space policy, at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
While China is capable of producing its own HEU, it has entered into agreements with Russia, which already has decades of extensive experience with fast breeder reactors, to obtain HEU fuel for specific projects.
Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has rapidly expanded and modernized its nuclear arsenal. While China currently possesses fewer nuclear weapons than the U.S. or Russia, the Pentagon and independent Stockholm International Peace Institute say the East Asian country could double its stockpile of 500 warheads by 2030.
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China has been constructing hundreds of silos in its Western regions to house ICBMs, enhancing its rapid nuclear counterattack capabilities. “We assess that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) has likely completed silo construction and has begun loading them with missiles,” Narang said.
He added that the expansion and diversification of China’s nuclear capabilities were unexpected developments not anticipated when the U.S. crafted its nuclear modernization program over a decade ago. These changes are likely to become “a defining feature of this new nuclear age,” Narang said.
In response, the U.S. is adopting a more competitive stance in its nuclear strategy. “If our adversaries continue down their current paths, the…
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