China's nuclear arms are behind U.S.'s but meet needs, expert says

Hans Kristensen sees top risk as a war that escalates, not a surprise atomic attack

20231117 China missiles

Chinese military vehicles carry JL-2 submarine-launched missiles during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. © AP

TORU TSUNASHIMA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the warfare between Israel and Hamas are making the world more unstable and a nuclear war likelier, with tensions possibly escalating between nuclear powers such as the U.S., Russia and China.

As Nikkei reported earlier this month, China evidently is procuring Western technologies in order to advance its development of nuclear weapons. How should we look at the risks of the potential use of nuclear arms, especially in East Asia, where both China and North Korea are building up their arsenals?

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