President Trump recently said, when discussing plans to restart US nuclear weapons testing, that China could catch up with US nuclear capabilities within five years. FEATURED VIDEOAnalysts say it’s unlikely that China could match the estimated 3,700 warheads in the US arsenal in the foreseeable future. The construction includes major upgrades at facilities thought to design and manufacture plutonium pits — the cores of nuclear warheads — as well as plants that produce the high explosives used to trigger nuclear reactions. But satellite imagery of less-scrutinized facilities linked to warhead production indicates that China made significant upgrades across its nuclear weapons supply chain as it built the silos. “Based on all the changes that we’re seeing that show a huge investment in these locations, that altogether indicates an improved capability to produce nuclear warheads for the nuclear program,” Babiarz said.

Source: Washington Post December 29, 2025 04:14 UTC