Addis Ababa, April 20, 2022 (FBC) – The Chinese authorities have decided to expand its nuclear arsenal after reassessing the threats coming from the US. The Wall Street Journal quotes sources as saying that the Chinese leadership sees a strong nuclear arsenal as the only way to “deter the US from getting directly involved in a potential conflict over Taiwan.”
The newspaper refers to the analysis of satellite data purportedly showing that China has accelerated work on at least 120 suspected missile silos located in the remote western region of the country, near Yumen.
Experts say the sites could be used to deploy nuclear-capable weapons that could reach US territory. Satellite images taken in January 2022 indicate that the expansion process has already ended at 50 of the suspected missile silos.
Analysts close to the Western intelligence community openly attribute Beijing’s efforts to the increasingly confrontational nature of relations with the United States. They fear that increased capabilities could mean that Chinese authorities are prepared to launch a pre-emptive strike in the event of a potential escalation.
Source: TRT