The plan, known as the "Nuclear Employment Guidance," also aims to prepare the U.S. for potential coordinated nuclear threats from China, Russia, and North Korea.
The Biden administration has not publicly announced the approval of this new strategy, though an unclassified notification to Congress is expected before Biden leaves office in January 2025.
Despite these developments, the U.S.-based Arms Control Association indicated that Washington's overall nuclear strategy has not changed from what was outlined in the Biden administration's 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, NYT reported. The association maintains that there has been no significant shift away from focusing on Russia towards China.
In response to the NYT report, White House spokesperson Sean Savett stated that Biden’s "administration, like the four administrations before it, issued a Nuclear Posture Review and Nuclear Weapons Employment Planning Guidance. While the specific text of the Guidance is classified, its existence is in no way secret. The Guidance issued earlier this year is not a response to any single entity, country, nor threat."
Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, noted that the Pentagon believes China could expand its nuclear arsenal from 500 to 1,000 warheads by 2030. While Russia, with its estimated 4,000 nuclear warheads, continues to be the primary influence on U.S. nuclear strategy.
The U.S. Department of Defense, in its annual report, highlighted that China's military is expected to continue growing until 2035, with Beijing's strategic partnership with Russia being a key factor in its development as a global power.
(jh)
Source: PAP, Reuters, DW