China Projected To Have 1,000 Nukes, Viewed As 'Primary Adversary' By India: US Report

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Last Updated:May 26, 2025, 08:24 IST

According to the Defence Intelligence Agency, India views China arsenic a "primary adversary" and its defence priorities absorption connected countering China and enhancing its ain power.

India views China arsenic its superior adversary and Pakistan arsenic an ancillary information problem. (Credits: File image)

China is rapidly advancing its subject modernisation and processing capabilities crossed each warfare domains that could alteration it to prehend Taiwan by force, and is expected to scope astatine slightest 1,000 operational atomic warheads by 2030, according to a study by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

As per the report, China maintains its strategical objectives to beryllium the pre-eminent powerfulness successful East Asia, situation the United States for planetary leadership, unify Taiwan with mainland China, beforehand the improvement and resiliency of China’s economy, and go technologically self-sufficient by mid-century.

India views China arsenic its “primary adversary" and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s defence priorities are focusing connected planetary leadership, countering China, and enhancing New Delhi’s subject power.

According to the report, China is apt to proceed multidomain unit campaigns against Taiwan, the Philippines and others who defy Beijing’s territorial claims and volition support an oculus connected the United States and hole measures to deter, decision and retaliate against immoderate US moves that it perceives arsenic intending to disrupt China’s diplomatic, economical and information objectives.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Modernising Nuclear Arsenal, Sees India As An Existential Threat: US Report

India-China Relations

The US DIA study says India views China arsenic its “primary adversary" and is giving precedence to advancing its bilateral defence partnerships successful the Indian Ocean portion done exercises, training, arms sales, and accusation sharing to antagonistic Chinese power and boost its planetary enactment role.

India and China reached an statement past twelvemonth to disengage on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) successful eastbound Ladakh. “The disengagement did not resoluteness the longstanding quality astir borderline demarcation but reduced immoderate hostility inactive lingering from a 2020 incidental erstwhile troops connected some sides were killed successful a clash on the Line of Actual Control," it said.

While India has reduced procurement of Russian-origin subject equipment, it inactive relies connected Russian spare parts to support and prolong its ample inventory of Russian-origin tanks and combatant craft that assistance its subject to antagonistic threats from China and Pakistan.

China’s Nuclear Programmes

China announced a nominal 5.2% yearly subject fund summation to $247 cardinal successful 2025. However, China’s existent defence spending is importantly higher, pursuing the 2024 defence spending of an estimated $304-$377 billion.

China’s atomic warhead stockpile astir apt has surpassed 600 operational atomic warheads. The DIA estimated that China volition person much than 1,000 operational atomic warheads by 2030, and the state volition proceed increasing its unit until astatine slightest 2035.

“This supports the PLA’s nonsubjective to execute a much divers atomic force, comprising systems including low-yield precision onslaught missiles and ICBMs with multi-megaton yields, to supply a broader scope of atomic effect options," it said.

China’s attack to utilizing atomic unit is based connected the Army’s “deterrence" of an force archetypal onslaught and “counterstrike" against an adversary’s subject capability, population, and system erstwhile deterrence fails. Its accelerated modernisation suggest that it seeks the quality to inflict acold greater levels of overwhelming damage.

China’s Growing Pressure On Taiwan

China is apt to proceed its run of diplomatic, information, military, and economical unit connected Taiwan to beforehand its semipermanent nonsubjective of unification with Taiwan, deter immoderate determination by Taiwan toward independence, and trial the United States’ committedness to Taiwan’s defence, according to the US agency.

The Chinese subject has accrued subject unit connected Taiwan since past year, pursuing the predetermination of President Lai Ching-te. It possesses a assortment of subject options to coerce Taiwan, including summation the frequence and scope of China’s subject beingness operations, aerial and maritime blockades.

China insists antiauthoritarian Taiwan is portion of its territory and has threatened to usage unit to bring the land nether its control. Beijing has accrued the deployment of combatant jets and naval vessels astir Taiwan successful caller years to property its assertion of sovereignty, which Taipei rejects.

Location :

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

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News world China Projected To Have 1,000 Nukes, Viewed As 'Primary Adversary' By India: US Report