China could have as many intercontinental ballistic missiles as the US or Russia by 2030, weapons watchdog says

***From Business Insider’s Kwan Wei Kevin Tan***:

China could achieve parity with the US and Russia in terms of the number of [intercontinental ballistic missiles](https://www.businessinsider.com/tk-china-icbm-test-header-2024-9) it has by 2030, per an estimate by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The European think tank said in a report on Monday that China has the world’s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal. It added that the country has at least 600 nuclear warheads and has been adding about 100 warheads to its arsenal every year since 2023.

Last year, SIPRI said China [increased its number of nuclear warheads](https://www.businessinsider.com/china-now-fastest-growing-nuclear-arsenal-in-the-world-report-2024-6) from 410 in 2023 to 500 at the start of 2024.

SIPRI’s estimate is similar to that of the Pentagon’s, which said in its China Military Power Report last year that China has [over 600 operational nuclear warheads](https://www.businessinsider.com/china-600-nukes-pentagon-advanced-systems-hgv-fob-2024-12). The Defense Department said China is on track to grow its arsenal to 1,000 warheads by 2030.

SIPRI said in its report on Monday that China could have as many ICBMs as the US or Russia by 2030, but will [lag behind in the number of warheads](https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-china-more-icbm-launchers-us-has-nuclear-edge-2023-2). It estimates that China will have a maximum number of 1,500 warheads by 2035.

[Read more](https://www.businessinsider.com/china-as-many-icbms-as-us-russia-by-2030-2025-6?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=insider-futurology-sub-post).

You have to wonder why they are building this? This goes beyond national defense, and into MAD. Yet they claim to be friendly with both other major nuclear powers?

It really wouldn’t be surprising if they already do.