President Biden approved revisions to a national security plan in March that, for the first time, refocused United States deterrence efforts towards China amid the expansion of its nuclear arsenal, according to a report by The New York Times.
The strategic adjustments follow an October Pentagon report to U.S. lawmakers, which cautioned that China is rapidly increasing its stockpile of nuclear weapons and delivery systems beyond earlier predictions. The report projected that China might triple its warhead count to 1,500 by 2035.
Adding to the Biden administration’s concerns are the growing military ties between Beijing and Moscow, an alliance that could further result in technology sharing and complicate bilateral arms reduction treaties.
The “Nuclear Employment Guidance,” which is updated every four years, is reportedly so classified that only a small number of hard copies are circulated among senior national security officials in Washington.
Despite the traditional secrecy that surrounds the policy materials, the newspaper stated that a notification of its alteration will be sent to Congress before the end of the year.
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