We Know Less Than We Think

The information that the United States has on China’s nuclear weapons buildup is quite thin and controversial, said Richard Fisher, senior fellow of Asian military affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center. For example, the United States estimates that China possesses between 200 and 400 nuclear warheads, but according to Russian experts, China holds 1,600 to 1,800 warheads, said Fisher during a May 24 address on Capitol Hill sponsored by AFA, the National Defense Industrial Association, and Reserve Officers Association. Further, US experts believe that China has 16 tons of highly enriched uranium, whereas the Russians believe that the Chinese have 40 tons of HEU, he noted. Fisher also said North Korea either has or will soon have deployable ICBMs that can reach Anchorage, Alaska. The transporter erector launchers for these new missiles were “made in China, given to North Korea,” he emphasized. He also mentioned that China is supplying nuclear weapons to Pakistan, but unfortunately, the United States is not doing much about it. Michael Pillsbury, a Defense Department consultant, and Gordon Chang, author of The Coming Collapse of China, also spoke at the event.