China denies US report it's rapidly growing its nuclear arms

BEIJING — A elder Chinese arms power authoritative denied Tuesday that his authorities is rapidly expanding its atomic arsenal, though helium said it is taking steps to modernize its atomic forces.

Fu Cong, manager wide of the Foreign Ministry’s arms power department, said China is moving to guarantee its atomic deterrent meets the minimum level indispensable for nationalist defense.

“On the assertions made by U.S. officials that China is expanding dramatically its atomic capabilities, first, fto maine accidental that this is untrue,” helium said astatine a briefing successful Beijing.

The briefing was held a time aft China, the U.S., Russia, Great Britain and France issued a associated connection connected preventing atomic warfare oregon an arms race. The connection was expected to beryllium timed to the commencement of a planetary league connected disarmament astatine the U.N., but the gathering has been postponed due to the fact that of a surge successful COVID-19 cases.

The U.S. Defense Department said successful a report successful November that China is expanding its atomic unit faster than antecedently predicted and could person much than 1,000 warheads by 2030. The U.S. has 3,750 atomic weapons.

Fu would not corroborate the rocket silos but said the size of China’s atomic unit should not beryllium estimated based connected the outer photos.

He said China does request to instrumentality steps to marque definite its atomic unit is capable successful airy of a changing information situation successful Asia. He cited U.S. speech of deploying intermediate-range non-nuclear missiles successful the region. India besides has atomic weapons, arsenic does its neighbour Pakistan.

Fu stuck by the Chinese presumption that it would not articulation atomic arms simplification talks betwixt the U.S. and Russia, arsenic the American broadside is pushing for. He called connected some to trim their arsenals, by acold the largest successful the world.

“We volition beryllium blessed to articulation if they person reduced to our level,” helium said. adding that “the 2 superpowers request to ... drastically trim their atomic capabilities to a level comparable to the level of China, and for that substance to the level of France and the U.K., truthful that different atomic states tin articulation successful this process.”

U.S. President Joe Biden’s medication is carrying retired a reappraisal of America’s atomic posture, but large alteration seems improbable fixed the reports of China’s increasing atomic unit and tensions with China implicit Taiwan and with Russia implicit Ukraine.

Fu besides called connected the U.S. to assistance sanctions connected Iran, and for Iran to instrumentality to its atomic commitments connected that basis. Iran is in talks with the U.S., China, Russia, the U.K., France and Germany connected restoring a 2015 statement that granted Iran sanctions alleviation successful speech for curbs connected its atomic program. Former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. retired of the woody successful 2018.