China’s military buildup threatens US

China is in the midst of a “historic military buildup” that has made the US homeland “increasingly vulnerable” according to the latest edition of a Pentagon report on the capabilities of the Asian nation’s military, presenting a challenge to President Donald Trump's plans for new limitations on US, Chinese and Russian nuclear arsenals.

- COURTNEY MCBRIDE NECTAR GAN

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Rocket Force launches an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean, at an undisclosed location, on Sept 25, 2004.AFP

The congressionally mandated report, posted on the Pentagon website Tuesday, is the first version issued during the second Trump administration. It describes a Chinese military that is increasingly sophisticated and resilient, wary of large-scale agreements with the US and learning lessons from Russia's setbacks in Ukraine as it increases pressure on Taiwan.

And while the report notes China and Russia continue to deepen their strategic partnership, “almost certainly driven by a shared interest in countering the United States; that cooperation is hindered by both sides harbouring a “mutual distrust” of each other.

The report underscores China’s “large and growing arsenal” of nuclear, maritime, conventional long-range strike, cyber and space capabilities, which it said is able to “directly threaten America's security’.

It notes that China's stockpile of nuclear warheads was in the low 600s through 2024, reflecting a slower rate of production when compared to previous years. The report did not explain what might have caused the slowdown.