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Pentagon on Thursday (Dec 19) released its annual congressionally mandated report on China's military and security developments. The report talked about China's nuclear arsenal, its air force, its plan to expand its overseas footprint, and the pressure on Taiwan. The report said that China's military- which has been working to modernise itself for several decades- has made recent advances. However, its efforts to improve the armed forces have been hampered by corruption that led to the removal of top leaders. > The Pentagon report said that the Chinese Navy has over 370 ships and submarines, up from the approximately 340 that the Pentagon said China had in its 2022 report. > China's stockpile of operational nuclear warheads increased from more than 500 last year to more than 600 in 2024, the report said. Also read | China's Xi Jinping says Communist Party must ‘turn the knife inward’ to root out corruption > China would have more than 1,000 by 2030, the Pentagon said, as Beijing pushes "to modernise, diversify, and expand its nuclear forces rapidly." > This, it said, would enable China to "target more US cities, military facilities, and leadership sites than ever before in a potential nuclear conflict." > The Pentagon also said that China was developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles that would significantly improve its nuclear-capable missile forces and require increased nuclear warhead production. > China is looking to expand its overseas infrastructure and logistics to "project and sustain military power at greater distances" beyond its base in Djibouti, the Pentagon said. > The PLA (People's Liberation Army) has likely considered having military logistics facilities in countries from Myanmar, Pakistan and Bangladesh to Kenya and Nigeria, among others. Also watch | World China rapidly expanding military capabilities > When it comes to Taiwan, the Pentagon said that China amplified its diplomatic, political, and military pressure against Taiwan last year. > China "continued to erode longstanding norms in and around Taiwan by employing a range of pressure tactics", it added. Reacting to the Pentagon's report, the Chinese foreign ministry urged Washington to stop issuing "irresponsible reports." "This US report, like previous similar reports, ignores facts, is full of bias, and spreads the China threat theory. It is just an excuse to maintain its military hegemony. China is determined to be a force for peace, stability, and progress in the world. At the same time, we also resolutely defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters. “We urge the United States to abandon its Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic, look at China's strategic intentions and national defence construction objectively and rationally, stop publishing such irresponsible reports year after year, and take practical actions to maintain the stability of the relations between the two countries and the two militaries,” Lin added. Harshit Sabarwal is a digital news writer and anchor at WION, focusing on covering Indian and international politics, war and conflict, and anything breaking news. H None
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