(DailyVantage.com) – According to a report from the Pentagon, China’s military power is rapidly increasing and exceeds prior predictions from the Department of Defense. The report also indicates China’s nuclear arsenal is growing substantially, and China is likely focusing on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for potential strategies.
Pentagon officials also claim China is potentially developing an intercontinental ballistic missile system, which would enable strikes within the United States. The report comes just weeks before China’s President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet with United States President Joe Biden and will likely cause a rise in international tensions between the two nations. The most concerning detail in the report for many is that China’s nuclear arsenal is growing, an unexpected result that many fear is a sign of potential escalation. Despite the fears regarding a potential attack from China, officials in Beijing claim China will refrain from using nuclear arms unless the United States attacks first.
The report coincides with rising tensions between China and the United States in militaristic and economic fields. The United States recently escalated an ongoing technological competition between the two nations by banning the importation of AI chips into China. The ban is the latest in a string of export-oriented policies seeking to limit China’s access to advanced technology. China isn’t the only country included in the ban, but the policy aims to restrict China. Other nations included in the ban are Iran and Russia, all of which are outspoken critics of the United States and similar Western nations. The primary concern of the United States when instituting this ban is to prevent China, Iran, and Russia from acquiring advanced weapon systems that could threaten America’s interests.
Another concern among world leaders is a potential alliance between China and Russia, a likely development given the ongoing relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. The two leaders regularly meet and refer to each other as “dear friends,” and China remains a crucial supplier of arms and ammunition to Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine. While China remains indirectly involved in the war, many fear China will join Russia in return for a longstanding alliance between the two neighboring Asian nations.
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