According to Congressman Mike Rogers, China is rapidly approaching nuclear parity, the newspaper reportsNEW YORK, February 8.
/tass/. China has a larger number of land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers than the United States. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, citing data from the Strategic Command (STRATCOM) The US Armed Forces.
"The number of launchers for mine-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and mobile ICBM launchers in China exceeds the number of ICBM launchers in the United States," the publication quotes an excerpt from the letter of the head of STRATCOM to the armed forces committees of both chambers of the US Congress. Currently, this military department is headed by Air Force General Anthony Cotton.
At the same time, the US military assured members of Congress that the US surpasses China in the number of land-based ICBMs, in addition, these missiles are equipped with a large number of nuclear warheads. Also, the data provided by the military department did not take into account submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), as well as long-range bombers. In these areas, the publication claims, the United States has a clear advantage over China.
According to the newspaper, some lawmakers are calling for increasing the country's nuclear potential to confront China and Russia.
"China is rapidly approaching [nuclear] parity. We can't let that happen. It's time to change the balance of power and expand our capabilities," the newspaper quotes Congressman Mike Rogers (Republican from Alabama), chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the US House of Representatives.
At the same time, The Wall Street Journal points out, proponents of arms control believe that it is more profitable for the United States to maintain the Treaty on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms with Russia and to begin negotiations on arms limitation with China.
Last week, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that Moscow has been perfectly observing the DSN throughout the years, unlike Washington. The diplomat stressed that the responsibility for the escalation of the situation around the treaty lies entirely with the United States. He commented on a report prepared earlier by the US State Department, which claims that Russia allegedly did not fulfill the conditions of the START Treaty and may return to its full compliance by allowing inspections on its territory, as well as agreeing to a meeting of the advisory commission.
The United States and Russia signed the treaty in 2010. According to its terms, each of the parties reduces its strategic offensive weapons in such a way that seven years after the entry into force of the document and in the future their total numbers do not exceed 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles of submarines and heavy bombers (TB), 1,550 warheads on them, 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers ICBM, SLBM and TB installations. The contract, designed for 10 years, expired on February 5, 2021, but the document assumes the possibility of extension by mutual consent of the parties. In February 2021, Moscow and Washington extended the agreement for the maximum possible five years.
