China loaded more than 100 ICBMs, shuns arms control talks, Pentagon report finds

New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 23, 2025 05:59 IST

China is likely to have loaded more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles across newly constructed silo fields and shows no interest in arms control negotiations, according to a draft Pentagon report that underscores Beijing’s rapidly accelerating nuclear and military buildup.

The report, seen by Reuters, says China is expanding and modernising its nuclear arsenal faster than any other nuclear-armed power, reinforcing concerns that global arms control frameworks are fraying just as strategic competition intensifies.

“We continue to see no appetite from Beijing for pursuing such measures or more comprehensive arms control discussions,” the report said, casting doubt on prospects for future nuclear diplomacy involving China.

MISSILE SILOS AND NUCLEAR EXPANSION

According to the Pentagon assessment, China has likely deployed more than 100 solid-fuel DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missiles in three silo fields near its border with Mongolia. While the Pentagon had previously acknowledged the existence of the silo sites, it had not disclosed how many missiles were loaded, according to Reuters.

China’s nuclear warhead stockpile stood in the low 600s in 2024, the report said, but Beijing remains on track to exceed 1,000 warheads by 2030.

The findings align with assessments by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which has said China is expanding its weapons stockpile at a pace unmatched by any other nuclear power.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the draft report, noting it could still change before submission to US lawmakers.

BEIJING REJECTS BUILDUP CLAIMS

China dismissed the report’s conclusions, with its embassy in Washington saying Beijing maintains a defensive nuclear posture and keeps its forces at the minimum level required for national security.

China has also accused the United States of attempting to smear and defame China and deliberately mislead the international community, and has reiterated its stated no-first-use nuclear policy and moratorium on nuclear testing.

The report’s release comes weeks after US President Donald Trump said he may pursue denuclearisation talks with China and Russia, a prospect the Pentagon assessment suggests Beijing is unlikely to entertain.

Beyond nuclear forces, the report offers a stark warning on China’s conventional military ambitions, concluding that Beijing believes it could “fight and win” a war over Taiwan by the end of 2027.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, has never renounced the use of force. The report said Beijing is refining options to seize the island by brute force, including strikes up to 2,000 nautical miles from China that could challenge US military presence across the Asia-Pacific.

ARMS CONTROL FEARS GROW

The findings arrive less than two months before the expiration of the 2010 New START treaty, the last remaining US-Russia nuclear arms control agreement. With no successor in place and China outside the framework, experts warn of a looming three-way nuclear arms race.

“More nuclear weapons and an absence of diplomacy will not make anyone safer,” said Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association. “Not China, not Russia, and not the United States.”

The Pentagon report also pointed at sweeping anti-corruption purges under Chinese President Xi Jinping, particularly within the People’s Liberation Army and state-owned defence firms.

While the crackdown may affect short-term readiness, the report said it could ultimately lead to long-term improvements across China’s military. At least 26 senior executives in arms companies have been investigated or removed in the past 18 months, it said, as scrutiny widened to China’s nuclear and shipbuilding sectors.

- Ends

With inputs from Reuters

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