Amid rising tension with the United States, Chinese leaders are pointedly making it worse, with a new and accelerating surge in their buildup of nuclear weapons.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Beijing apparently “believes the U.S. could turn to nuclear weapons in a war.”
The problem comes amid a world of instability that has developed after Joe Biden took office.
He’s created a crisis on America’s southern border with illegals – and illegal drugs – flooding in. He’s allowed inflation to undermine the ability of many lower-income Americans to buy food or pay rent. Under his watch, Russia has invaded Ukraine and killed perhaps tens or even hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
Meanwhile, his federal election takeover, his massive go-into-more-debt with unfunded spending, and his green and social agendas largely have stalled.
Into this chaos, the Journal reports, “China has accelerated an expansion of its nuclear arsenal because of a change in its assessment of the threat posed by the U.S., people with knowledge of the Chinese leadership’s thinking say, shedding new light on a buildup that is raising tension between the two countries.”
The report found, “Chinese leaders see a stronger nuclear arsenal as a way to deter the U.S. from getting directly involved in a potential conflict over Taiwan.”
That likely stems from Biden’s waffling on whether to help Ukraine defend itself, or not. And if so, how.
“Among recent developments, work has accelerated this year on more than 100 suspected missile silos in China’s remote western region that could be used to house nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the U.S., according to analysts that study satellite images of the area,” the report explained.
The report said many American leaders say the agenda behind the buildup is uncertain, but “The people close to the Chinese leadership said China’s increased focus on nuclear weapons is also driven by fears Washington might seek to topple Beijing’s Communist government following a more hawkish turn in U.S. policy toward China under the Trump and Biden administrations.”
But the big worry being expressed is that China could decide to use its weaponry in a surprise first strike.
The report pointed out that the use of nukes already has been discussed – by Russia’s chiefs.
The report said Chinese officials aren’t announcing any change in their agenda. But they said that could happen in the future.
The report found, “Rising tension between the U.S. and China over nuclear weapons could throw the world back into a Cold War-style nuclear standoff similar to that seen in the decades following World War II between the U.S. and Soviet Union.”
While the U.S., and Russia, are estimated to have about 4,000 warheads, China’s stockpile right now is estimated in the low hundreds, with that total expected to be at about 1,000 by the end of the decade.
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This article was originally published by the WND News Center.
