China tests ballistic missiles in Pacific
On Wednesday, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile (IBM) test outside its territory, its first in more than four decades, as it informed the world about it on the same day.
The news likely raised alarms in the United States, which insists that the building up of Beijing’s nuclear and missile potential goes beyond the bounds of any reliable deterrence minimum, forcing the Americans to respond.
Meanwhile, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out that China has every right to conduct such tests as it continues to try to boost its army.
China last tested an IBM in the southern Pacific in 1980. In the past few years, China has been enhancing its military capabilities in general and its nuclear forces in particular to achieve Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s goal of transforming the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a “world class” military by 2049.
Beijing has been boosting its nuclear forces in order to counter the United States and upgrade its own missile defences. However, while China has formally committed to never using nuclear weapons first, the United States has not.
The fact that China has been upgrading its strategic nuclear deterrent is no secret to anyone, therefore the Americans have been considering a response since 2021.
According to analysts, the Biden administration has already responded by moving to rearm Tomahawk cruise missiles with nuclear warheads. The United States is currently debating how to reform its policy regarding strategic nuclear weapons so that it can contain two roughly equal adversaries, weighing whether they should have an arsenal the size of those possessed by Russia and China together or whether they should opt for a more rational response. In any case, some response will come.
It seems strange how knowingly or may be acting absent minded, everyone is forgetting to include India in this equation. India will certainly not go for matching the Chinese missiles by missile and nuclear warheads by nuclear warheads.
However India through its Agni 6 and new Surya series will certainly “outsmart” the total PLA nuclear arsenal with fewer warheads and missiles only. This will naturally act as a balance on the other two nuclear powers.
