Huang Yuliang|Moment|Getty Images
Chinese state media and the foreign ministry moved quickly to criticize Washington after The New York Times reported that U.S. President Joe Biden in March was recalibrating U.S. nuclear energy strategy plans to focus on Beijing’s rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal.
The outspoken editor of Beijing’s government mouthpiece Global Times said on Thursday that China had become the United States’ “best excuse” for maintaining such a huge nuclear arsenal in the post-Cold War world.
The editor-in-chief of the Global Times added: “The United States should not smear and hype China, but should reflect on itself and think about how to rebuild mutual trust with China through dialogue and sincerity.”
Words resonate Ministry of Foreign Affairs of ChinaThe article stated that the United States is promoting “China’s nuclear threat narrative and looking for excuses to seek strategic advantages.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said, “We have no intention to engage in any form of arms race with other countries.”
Beijing’s remarks came after new york times According to the report, Biden’s approval of the plan, called the “Nuclear Energy Jobs Guidance,” comes as the Pentagon worries that China’s stockpile will ” rival the size and diversity of the United States and Russia within the next decade.”
The revised U.S. strategy aims to prepare the United States for “a possible coordinated nuclear challenge from China, Russia and North Korea,” according to the New York Times, which added that approval of the strategy was never announced but is expected to be Biden sends an unclassified notification to the U.S. Congress before leaving office.
In response, White House says nuclear strategic plan is not targeting any country or threaten.
The world’s two largest economies have repeatedly attacked each other over their nuclear ambitions. Once a year Pentagon last report This year said China’s nuclear arsenal is expected to grow to more than 1,000 by 2030, and as of May 2023, China has more than 500 serviceable nuclear warheads, exceeding previous predictions.
Back in March, U.S. and China resume informal nuclear arms talksChinese representatives assured that they would not resort to atomic threats against Taiwan.
About The Author
