US ‘biggest nuclear threat’ – China

America poses the greatest danger to the world when it comes to the risks of a potential nuclear conflict, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang told journalists on Friday. Beijing has accused Washington of making “irresponsible decisions” in attempts to maintain its hegemony, including through intimidating the international community with its nuclear arsenal.

The damning statement came in response to the Pentagon’s decision to upgrade US Forces Japan into a joint force headquarters under the command of a three-star officer reporting to the commander of the Indo-Pacific Command. The announcement was made by the US Defense Department in late July following the meeting of the American and Japanese defense and foreign policy chiefs.

US Defense Secretary Llyod Austin hailed the development as “one of the strongest improvements in our military ties with Japan in 70 years” at that time. He also said that the two sides “held a separate two-plus-two ministerial level meeting on extended deterrence, and that has never been done before.” During the meeting, the US vowed to “defend Japan with the full range of our capabilities, including our nuclear capabilities,” according to the defense secretary.

On Friday, Zhang Xiaogang stated that Washington and Tokyo played the “China military threat” card to justify their move. Such actions only “provoke bloc confrontation and undermine regional peace and stability,” he said. The Pentagon’s July statement did mention “China’s expansion of its nuclear arsenal” among the topics discussed at the “extended deterrence meeting.”

According to the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman, “the US poses the biggest nuclear threat to the world” since it possesses the “largest nuclear arsenal in the world” and pursues a policy that allows the first use of nuclear weapons.

The latest US National Defense Strategy (NDS) published by the Pentagon in 2022, alongside the Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review, identifies Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran as four potential adversaries for nuclear weapons planning. It also leaves the door open for a nuclear first strike by allowing the use of such weapons to prevent a conventional attack.

In 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Moscow, which banned either side from developing and deploying certain types of ground-based nuclear-capable missiles. At that time, Washington stated that it had a need for such weapons, not least because China wasn’t bound by the bilateral INF agreement.

The last bilateral binding agreement limiting American and Russian nuclear stockpiles is the new START Treaty, which is set to expire in 2026. Last year, Russia formally suspended its participation in New START, citing hostile US policies, but vowed to observe its core terms, which put a cap on nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

In October 2023, the Pentagon accused China of “rapidly” expanding its nuclear arsenal as the congressional Strategic Posture Commission called on Washington to prepare for a war with both Beijing and Moscow. Later the same month, the US also announced plans to “modernize” its top nuclear bomb.

The US’ “irresponsible decisions and actions have resulted in the proliferation of nuclear risks, and its attempts to maintain hegemony and intimidate the world with nuclear power have been fully exposed,” Zhang said, adding that its latest actions in Japan only “exacerbate regional tensions and increase the risk of nuclear proliferation and nuclear conflicts.”