China acknowledges its “significant progress” in nuclear weapons production.
At the Shangri-La security summit in Singapore, the Chinese defense minister announced Beijing’s significant progress in developing nuclear weapons, but stressed that this is a capability to defend the country.
Chinese Defense Minister Wei Feng commented on Beijing’s nuclear weapons program at a security meeting in Singapore.
Western media sources reported on Chinese Defense Minister’s remarks at the Shangri-La security summit in Singapore, highlighting his remarks about China’s nuclear program.
According to Reuters, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Feng said that the country has made “significant progress” in the production of new nuclear weapons, but will use this program only for self-defense.
A reporter at a security meeting in Shangri-La asked China’s Defense Minister about reports released last year about Beijing building more than 100 new nuclear missile silos.
In response to this question, the Chinese Defense Minister stressed that his country “has always followed a good path to develop nuclear capabilities to protect our country.”
According to Feng, the nuclear weapons on display at the 2019 military parade in Beijing – which included upgraded launchers for China’s DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles – were operationalized and deployed.
“China has been developing its capabilities for more than five decades,” he said. It is fair to say that significant progress has been made. China’s policy is stable. We use it to defend ourselves. “We will not be the first to use nuclear weapons.”
