Satellite images reveal that China is expanding its nuclear warhead manufacturing facilities and accelerating its nuclear capabilities, indicating a significant increase in its nuclear arsenal and ambitions.
China's nuclear arsenal has increased by 100 warheads in 2024 to a total of 600, marking the fastest expansion among countries, while the global nuclear stockpile slightly declined to 12,241, raising concerns about a new nuclear arms race, with Russia and the US holding the majority of the world's warheads.
North Korea's recent display of warheads designed for missiles to strike US allies in Asia and deliver a nuclear bomb to the American mainland indicates that Kim Jong Un has no intention of abandoning his atomic arsenal. The images published this week indicate Pyongyang has made progress in miniaturizing its warheads, which increases its ability to deliver a nuclear strike. North Korea's ability to deliver a nuclear strike has grown to the point that there are calls by some policy experts to declare the country a nuclear weapons state.
North Korea has unveiled new, smaller nuclear warheads and vowed to produce more weapons-grade nuclear material to expand the country's arsenal, as a US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea for military drills. Experts say the images could indicate progress in miniaturising warheads that are powerful yet small enough to mount on intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the US. North Korea has been ramping up tensions, firing short-range ballistic missiles on Monday and conducting a nuclear counterattack simulation last week against the US and South Korea, which it accused of rehearsing an invasion with their military exercises.