nuclear-news

The veil of secrecy over China’s nuclear developments

The veil of secrecy surrounding Chinese nuclear developments.

Chinese transparency needed on nuclear arms, The Hill, Nikita Perfilyev 20 Jan 2011, “……..China, however, has never disclosed the size of its arsenal.When it comes to describing the Chinese nuclear arsenal the most widely used phrase is “it is believed.” China is believed to have stopped production of weapons-grade fissile material in the early 1990s, but it keeps this option open.

As far as weapons are concerned, China is believed to have approximately 200 deployed nuclear warheads with about 40 in storage. Pentagon reports note, however, that in recent years China has increased its arsenal by 25 percent, the only official nuclear weapons state to do so.

Meanwhile, during the Review Conference they blocked wording declaring a global moratorium on the production of fissile materials for weapons purposes and rejected language that mandated reductions and opposed the growth in the arsenals of nuclear-weapons states……

……China’s economic growth has enabled it to increase military spending and changed its global standing. The veil of secrecy surrounding Chinese nuclear developments…

..Instead of feeding a vicious circle of mistrust regarding motives and intentions, China has an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to nuclear disarmament, quiet skeptics and neutralize those who try to play a “China threat” card. The greatest beneficiary of such a change in policy would be China itself, who would enjoy the benefits of both enhanced stability and increased security.

Chinese transparency needed on nuclear arms – The Hill’s Congress Blog

January 21, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, secrets,lies and civil liberties