China Is Building New Nuclear Weapon Silos. Should the U.S. Worry?

China is building more than a hundred new intercontinental ballistic missile silos. Is China's nuclear weapons arsenal really about to get bigger? Experts believe that the silos could house the DF-41, a Chinese ICBM that can potentially reach the U.S. mainland. James Acton explains the significance of the new missile silos and whether the United States should worry about China's growing nuclear capability.

About James Acton
Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The Carnegie Endowment advances international peace by leveraging its global network to shape debates and provide decisionmakers with independent insights and innovative ideas on the most consequential global threats and opportunities.



#China #Nukes #foreignpolicy #CarnegieEndowment

[henryhe]

LOL, have a re-check of your satellite picture. Next time when you smear China with silos, remember to remove "WIND FARM" from the image, dude.

[tehmujin]

Well done China, build 1000 more silos in Gobi and Taklamakan desert.

[ktchong]

The US has 5, 800 nuclear warheads.
China has 320.

[walishabaw]

Those are the wind power facilities of the Yumen Wind Farm in Gansu. US don’t worry just be smart.

[snbpege]

I just wanted to
The satellite photo that Washington Post show for the
It have write three words "Yumen Gansu Windfarm"
It just a Wind Farm! Come

[wingkeeho]

Very good that the US has such expert on Chinese missiles who cannot tell the difference between wind turbines and missil silos. 👏👏👏 Keep up with the good work and yoU will find China full of arsenals everywhere.

[laustinspeiss]

We need a mole with a motorcycle and a tube of superglue.

[PianoMan-hxev]

Impenetrable missile defense for the United States should be implemented immediately.

[xiaodongwang]

I’m so ashamed of myself for having respected the Carnegie Endowment for this and that.

[kennyhagan]

Just subscribed based on the first few statements. Nicely thought out

[augustoliborio]

Good point but why china is considering a nuclear warfare if they believe that will be more powerful ?

Only thing that comes to mind is that they do not thing they gonna win a conventional war

[IDNeon]

I can't imagine a shell game makes any sense. The enemy has to assume all silos are "worse case" full use and therefore has to expand their nuclear capabilities to meet the challenge.

To China this means a shell game causes the US to increase its capabilities and make the situation even worse.

[myke]

I'm not finding this too worrying. It seems the Chinese are right to think improved American (and in future Russian) precision strike, antisub, and stealth capabilities are a threat to pre-emptively take out their nuclear deterrent, so they want to build up some to preserve it. That would explain why these silos are so far from the coast. Same with their recent hypersonic test. It would help though if they were more honest/forthcoming.

[ChrisRedfield--]

Should the other people on Earth Worry?
The UK reserves the right to use nuclear weapons not only against nuclear threats but against enemies possessing chemical and biological weapons or emerging technologies that could have a comparable impact.
The UK government has announced it is increasing the number of nuclear warheads for its Trident submarine fleet to 260
Should the other people on Earth Worry?

[MetaView]

LOL You can tell the quality of the researcher by the material they present.

[henryl]

It is good for world peace. Currently there is no serious counter force to the US bullying around the globe. China is the hope of future mankind.

[judas]

arms control and treaty between china and US should be the way forward. to be fair, its best if both of them can only have like 300 missiles, and no 1 can complain about 1 another. fair and square.

[jagdpanther]

Fake story!
Did you know the DF41 ICBM was a mobile launched ICBM that doesn't require using "Silo"?

[hongren]

Well the more the better of these “nuclear silos”, good for environment

[PD-ydfr]

Don't worry guys, Biden will keep you safe