Biden Endorses New Nuclear Strategy with Focus on China

Department of Research, Strategic Studies and International Relations 21-08-2024

Amid China’s expanding nuclear capabilities and President Putin’s threats regarding Ukraine, President Joe Biden has reportedly approved a revised US nuclear strategy, as per a report by the New York Times.

Al though the White House clarified that this update is not targeted at any particular nation or threat, the strategy is designed to prepare the US for potential nuclear conflicts involving Russia, China, and North Korea.

According to a state ment from the White House on Tuesday, the strategy, which was green litearlier this year, does not single out any specific country.

White House spokes person Sean Savet mentioned that al though the strategy’s details are classified, its existence is widely known.

He reiterated that the guidance is not a response to any individual entity or threat.

The New York Times reported that the new deterrence policy takes into account China’s rapidly growing nuclear arsenal, which could soon rival those of the US and Russia.

This shift in strategy occurs as Russia’s President Vladimir Putin continues to threaten the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine.

Mean while, the Arms Control Association, based in the US, noted that the general US nuclear weapons strategy remains consistent with the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review.

 Daryl Kimball, the association’s executive director, highlighted that al though China’s nuclear arsenal could double to 1,000 war heads by 2030, Russia’s current stock pile of about 4,000 war heads remains the primary factor shaping US nuclear strategy.

The revised strategy, known as the Nuclear Employment Guidance, wasre portedly a pproved by Biden in March, al though Congress has yet to receive an unclassified notification regarding the change.

Despite a history of nuclear arms reduction, recent signals from the administration suggest area diness to expand the US nuclear arsenal in response to the evolving strategies of China and Russia.

 Earlie rthis year, the US even warn edits allies about the possibility of Russia deploying a nuclear weapon in space.

In a separate report on Tuesday, the Times revealed that two senior administration official shad been previously all owed to hintat changes in the US nuclear strategy with out form all yac knowled gingthem.

In June, Pranay Vaddi, a senior directorat the National Security Council, warned that without a shift in nuclear policies by China and Russia, the US might need to move bey ondmoder nizingits current arsenal to expandingit.

Another official, Vipin Narang, an MIT nuclear strateg is twho has served in the Pentagon, mentioned earlierth is month that Biden hadissued updated guidance on nuclear weapons to address the challenge of managing multiple nuclear-armed adversaries and China’s increasing lyso phisticated nuclear capabilities.