WASHINGTON 鈥 The Pentagon and Republican congressmen on Tuesday aired fresh concerns about China鈥檚 buildup of its nuclear forces after a new report saying Beijing was building 110 more missile silos.听听
An American Federation of Scientists (AFS) report on Monday said satellite images showed China was building a new field of silos near Hami in the eastern part of its Xinjiang region.听听
The report came weeks after another on the construction of about 120 missile silos in Yumen, a desert area about 240 miles (380 km) to the southeast.听听
鈥淭his is the second time in two months the public has discovered what we have been saying all along about the growing threat the world faces and the veil of secrecy that surrounds it,鈥 the US Strategic Command said in a tweet linked to a听New York Times听article on the AFS report.听听
The State Department in early July called China鈥檚 nuclear buildup concerning and said it appeared Beijing was deviating from decades of nuclear strategy based around minimal deterrence. It called on China to engage with it 鈥渙n practical measures to reduce the risks of destabilizing arms races.鈥澨听
Republican Congressman Mike Turner, ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said China鈥檚 nuclear听buildup听was 鈥渦nprecedented鈥 and made clear it was 鈥渄eploying nuclear weapons to threaten the United States and our allies.鈥澨听
He said China鈥檚 refusal to negotiate arms control 鈥渟hould be a cause for concern and condemned by all responsible nations.鈥澨听
Another Republican, Mike Rogers, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the Chinese听buildup听showed the need to rapidly modernize the US nuclear deterrent.听听
A 2020 Pentagon report estimated China鈥檚 nuclear warhead stockpile in 鈥渢he low 200s鈥 and said it was projected to at least double in size as Beijing expands and modernizes its forces. Analysts say the United States has around 3,800 warheads, and according to a State Department factsheet, 1,357 of those were deployed as of March 1.听听
Washington has repeatedly called on China to join it and Russia in a new arms control treaty.听听
The听听on the new silos comes as Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is due to hold arms control talks with Russia in Geneva on Wednesday.听听
Ms. Sherman was in China earlier this week for talks at which Beijing accused Washington of creating an 鈥渋maginary enemy鈥 to divert attention from domestic problems and suppress China.听听
Beijing says its arsenal is dwarfed by those of the United States and Russia and it is ready to conduct bilateral dialogues on strategic security 鈥渙n the basis of equality and mutual respect.鈥 鈥斕Reuters
