Iran Press/Asia: In a statement on Friday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang told journalists that America is the "biggest nuclear threat" due to its "irresponsible decisions" in attempts to maintain hegemony, including by intimidating the international community with its nuclear arsenal.
The damning statement came in response to the Pentagon's decision to upgrade U.S. Forces Japan into a joint force headquarters under the command of a three-star officer reporting to the commander of the Indo-Pacific Command. The announcement was made by the U.S. Defense Department in late July following a meeting of American and Japanese defense and foreign policy chiefs.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hailed the development as "one of the strongest improvements in our military ties with Japan in 70 years" at the time. He also said that the two sides "held a separate two-plus-two ministerial level meeting on extended deterrence, and that has never been done before." During the meeting, the U.S. vowed to "defend Japan with the full range of our capabilities, including our nuclear capabilities," according to the defense secretary.
On Friday, Zhang Xiaogang stated that Washington and Tokyo played the "China military threat" card to justify their move. Such actions only "provoke bloc confrontation and undermine regional peace and stability," he said. The Pentagon's July statement did mention "China's expansion of its nuclear arsenal" among the topics discussed at the "extended deterrence meeting."
According to the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman, "the U.S. poses the biggest nuclear threat to the world" since it possesses the "largest nuclear arsenal in the world" and pursues a policy that allows the first use of nuclear weapons.
The latest U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) published by the Pentagon in 2022, alongside the Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review, identifies Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran as four potential adversaries for nuclear weapons planning. It also leaves the door open for a nuclear first strike by allowing the use of such weapons to prevent a conventional attack.
In 2018, the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Moscow, which banned either side from developing and deploying certain types of ground-based nuclear-capable missiles. At the time, Washington stated that it required such weapons, not least because China wasn't bound by the bilateral INF agreement.
The last bilateral binding agreement limiting American and Russian nuclear stockpiles is the New START Treaty, which is set to expire in 2026. Last year, Russia formally suspended its participation in New START, citing hostile U.S. policies, but vowed to observe its core terms, which put a cap on nuclear weapons and delivery systems.
In October 2023, the Pentagon accused China of "rapidly" expanding its nuclear arsenal as the congressional Strategic Posture Commission called on Washington to prepare for a war with both Beijing and Moscow. Later the same month, the U.S. also announced plans to "modernize" its top nuclear bomb.
"The U.S.' irresponsible decisions and actions have resulted in the proliferation of nuclear risks, and its attempts to maintain hegemony and intimidate the world with nuclear power have been fully exposed," Zhang said, adding that its latest actions in Japan only "exacerbate regional tensions and increase the risk of nuclear proliferation and nuclear conflicts."
