US approves new nuclear Strategy to refocus on China threat

Joe Biden has approved a US nuclear strategy to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with Russia, China and North Korea, according to a New York Times report.

- Edward Helmore, Amy Hawkins

On Tuesday, the White House said the plan was approved by the US president earlier this year and was not a response to a single country or threat.

A spokesperson said that 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." The New York Times reported that the deterrent policy accounted for the rapid buildup of China's nuclear arsenal, which could rival the size and diversity of the US and Russian stockpiles over the next decade. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has also threatened to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.