Together, the two sites signify "the most significant expansion of the Chinese nuclear arsenal ever," the FAS report said. "The Chinese missile silo program constitutes the most extensive silo construction since the US and Soviet missile silo construction during the Cold War," the report said. The "minimum deterrence" posture has historically kept China's nuclear weapons at a comparatively low level. "This is the Chinese government's consistent basic policy," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in January. Under this policy, China's nuclear forces needs a credible second-strike capability as minimal deterrence.

Source: CNN July 28, 2021 05:26 UTC