A newly released Pentagon report highlights China’s nuclear missile capabilities and its potential to launch attacks against the United States in the event of a full-scale conflict.
On December 23, Congress received this report, which noted that China could target most of the US using their DF-31 missiles.
The report cautioned: “China’s historic military buildup has made the US homeland increasingly vulnerable. China maintains a large and growing arsenal of nuclear, maritime, conventional long-range strike, cyber, and space capabilities able to directly threaten Americans’ security.”
According to the Department of War, China’s long-term ambition is to establish itself as a global superpower capable of safeguarding its interests worldwide by 2049.
Once equipped with a world-class military, the department anticipates that China would aim to reclaim Taiwan, which it currently considers as part of its territory.
The report further indicated that China possesses at least 100 DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and these have been positioned in underground launch sites known as silos. These missiles boast a range of 11,000km, covering much of the US.
These silos have been strategically placed in isolated regions in northern and western China, specifically in Hami in Xinjiang, Yumen in Gansu, and Yulin in Inner Mongolia, near Mongolia’s border.
Although there are an estimated 320 silos across these three locations, US intelligence suggests only 100 are actually loaded.
A senior official from the Department of War informed the Daily Mail that President Donald Trump and his administration aim to de-escalate tensions and ultimately prevent the outbreak of a global conflict akin to World War 3.
They stated: “President Trump seeks a stable peace, fair trade, and respectful relations with China.
“The Department of War will support the President’s intent by opening a wider range of military-to-military communications with the People’s Liberation Army and seeking other ways to make clear our peaceful intentions.”
Nevertheless, certain Republicans have expressed concerns about the potential ‘threat’ posed by China to the United States in the future.
A Politico report reveals that Rep. Nathaniel Moran has cautioned that China could leverage its control over pharmaceuticals, given that it supplies approximately 80 percent of the US’ active pharmaceutical ingredients.
He warned: “Overnight, China could turn off the spigot and many basic pharmaceuticals, including things like aspirin, go away from the supply chain in the United States.”
He also commented on China’s expanding military prowess and remarked: “We know the long-term goal of China is really economic and diplomatic and military domination around the world, and they see the United States as an adversary.”