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 China plant Verdoppelung seines Nuklear- Arsenals double nuclear arsenal infographic
Grafik zeigt das geschätzte globale Inventar an Atomsprengköpfen.
GN40521DE

MILITÄR

Laut Pentagon plant China eine massive Erweiterung seines Nuklear-Arsenals

September 2, 2020 - China dürfte seinen Lagerstand an Atom-Sprengköpfen in der nächsten Dekade verdoppeln und so das Ziel einer "nuklearen Triade" erreichen – die Fähigkeit zu Land, in der Luft und auf dem Meer nukleare Angriffe zu starten, meint das Pentagon.

In its annual report to Congress on China’s military, the Pentagon said that China has nuclear warheads in the low 200s, the first time the U.S. military has disclosed this number, Reuters said.

The Federation of American Scientists has estimated that China has about 320 nuclear warheads.

Even with an increase, China’s nuclear force would be far smaller than that of the United States, which has an estimated 3,800 warheads in active status and others in reserve. Unlike the U.S., China has no nuclear air force, but the report said that gap may be filled by developing a nuclear air-launched ballistic missile.

The Trump administration has been urging China to join the U.S. and Russia in negotiating a three-way deal to limit strategic nuclear arms, but China has declined. Chinese Foreign Ministry officials have said China’s arsenal is too small to be included in negotiated limits and that by pressing China to join in such talks the Trump administration has created a pretext for walking away from the existing U.S.-Russia arms treaty known as New START. That deal is due to expire in February but could be renewed for up to five years if Moscow and Washington agree.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 02/09/2020; STORY: Graphic News
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