Pentagon Report on Chinese ICBMs an Excuse to Expand U.S.’s Own Nuclear Arsenal: Beijing

China has accused the United States of exaggerating the so-called “China nuclear threat” to justify accelerating the expansion of its own nuclear arsenal, responding sharply to a draft Pentagon report on Chinese intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

The draft report, cited by Reuters, claimed China has likely loaded more than 100 ICBMs into three newly constructed silo fields near its border with Mongolia and suggested Beijing has shown little interest in arms control talks.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang rejected the claims at a press conference on Thursday, saying the U.S. was using the narrative to divert international attention from its own nuclear posture. Zhang said the U.S. possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, maintains a nuclear deterrence policy that allows for first use of nuclear weapons, and has long invested heavily in upgrading its nuclear triad.

He also pointed to U.S. statements about the possible resumption of nuclear testing, warning that such moves undermine global strategic stability. “We will never engage in a nuclear arms race with any country,” Zhang said, adding that China, unlike the U.S., strictly adheres to a no first use policy and keeps its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security.

Zhang urged Washington to fulfill its primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament, calling for drastic and substantive cuts to the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Last month, Chinese government released a white paper titled China’s Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in the New Era, which outlines China’s nuclear policy and reiterates its commitment to no first use and a self-defensive nuclear strategy.