WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Thursday that China’s rapid build-up of its nuclear forces was “concerning” and called on Beijing to engage with it to reduce “the risks of destabilizing arms races.”
State Department spokesperson Ned Price told a news briefing the build-up had become more difficult for China to hide and it appeared it was deviating from decades of nuclear strategy based around minimal deterrence.
Price was responding to a question about a report in the Washington Post that said China had begun constructing more than 100 new missile silos in a desert area in the western part of the country.
“These reports and other developments suggest that the PRC’s nuclear arsenal will grow more quickly, and to a higher level than perhaps previously anticipated,” Price said using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China.
“This buildup is concerning. It raises questions about the PRC’s intent. And for us, it reinforces the importance of pursuing practical measures to reduce nuclear risks,” he said.
“We encourage Beijing to engage with us on practical measures to reduce the risks of destabilizing arms races – potentially destabilizing tensions.”
Price added that this was why President Joe Biden had prioritized strategic stability in his engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and added: “The same rationale would apply to engagement with another nuclear power, the PRC.”
Price also said that the United States had “taken note” of remarks by Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party earlier on Thursday, but was “not going to comment on the specifics.”
In his address, Xi warned that foreign forces attempting to bully the nation will “get their heads bashed” and pledged to build up China’s military. He also committed to the “reunification” of Taiwan and said social stability would be ensured in Hong Kong while protecting China’s security and sovereignty.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Lisa Lambert, Daphne Psaledakis and Jonathan Landay; Editing by Leslie Adler and Alistair Bell)
