Wong Yu Liang | Moment | Getty Images
China’s state media and foreign ministry quickly moved to criticize Washington, after the New York Times reported that U.S. President Joe Biden reoriented the U.S.’ nuclear strategic plan in March to focus on Beijing’s rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal.
The outspoken editor of the Global Times, a Beijing government mouthpiece, said Thursday that China has “become the best excuse” for the U.S. in justifying “maintaining such a massive nuclear arsenal in the post-Cold War world.”
“Instead of smearing and hyping up China, the US should reflect on itself and consider how to rebuild mutual trust with China through dialogue and sincerity,” the Global Times editor added.
The remarks echoed China’s foreign ministry, which alleged the U.S. is pushing “the China nuclear threat narrative, finding excuses to seek strategic advantage.”
“We have no intention to engage in any form of arms race with other countries,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.
Beijing’s remarks came after the New York Times reported that Biden’s approval of the plan, called “Nuclear Employment Guidance,” came amid concerns from the Pentagon that China’s stockpiles will rival the “size and diversity of the United States’ and Russia’s over the next decade.”
The revised U.S. strategy sought to prepare America for “possible coordinated nuclear challenges from China, Russia and North Korea,” the NYT reported, adding that it’s approval was never announced but an unclassified notification is expected to be sent to U.S. Congress before Biden leaves office.
In response, the White House said that the nuclear strategic plan was not in response to a single country or threat.
The two largest economies in the world have repeatedly traded jabs over their nuclear ambitions. An annual report by the Pentagon last year said that China’s nuclear inventory is expected to grow to more than 1,000 by 2030, and that as of May 2023, China possessed over 500 operational nuclear warheads, exceeding previous projections.
Back in March, the U.S. and China resumed informal nuclear arms talks, with Chinese representatives reassuring that they will not resort to atomic threats over Taiwan.