Chinese Nuclear Weapons Enhancements – Implications for Chinese Employment Policy

Mainstream analysis of China’s nuclear weapons program sees the current buildup as restrained and driven by American counterforce capabilities (both conventional and nuclear). This reflects an assumption by such analysts that PRC strategists share assumptions with Western analysts about the disutility of nuclear weapons. This manuscript presents an alternative interpretation of China’s current nuclear modernization. The article examines the capabilities being acquired by the PRC, including rapid response, MIRVs, and highly survivable delivery systems. The paper argues it is equally plausible that China seeks warfighting capabilities and that will be useful in political coercion as it transitions to an international hegemon.