According to a draft report from the Pentagon, as viewed by Reuters, China has allegedly placed over 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles into three newly developed silo fields near its border with Mongolia. This move underscores China’s apparent disinterest in participating in arms control discussions.
The report highlights the rapid enhancement of China’s military capabilities, noting that the nation is expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal at a pace unmatched by any other nuclear-armed country. In response, Chinese officials have consistently dismissed these assessments, claiming they are attempts to “smear and defame China and deliberately mislead the international community.”
When approached for comment regarding the Reuters report, the Pentagon chose not to provide a statement to Fox News Digital.
In a related context, military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles were seen passing through Tiananmen Square during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China on National Day, October 1, 2019, in Beijing. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)
Last month, former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed potential interest in pursuing denuclearization talks with China and Russia. However, the Pentagon’s report suggests that Beijing shows little inclination towards such negotiations.
“We continue to see no appetite from Beijing for pursuing such measures or more comprehensive arms control discussions,” the report stated.
China’s rocket force has rapidly advanced. (CNS Photo via Reuters)
According to the assessment, China has likely loaded more than 100 solid-fueled DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missiles into silo fields near the Mongolian border. While the Pentagon had previously disclosed the existence of the silo fields, it had not publicly estimated how many missiles had been placed inside them.
China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The report did not identify potential targets for the newly loaded missiles and could change before it is formally submitted to Congress, U.S. officials said.
China’s Long March 2F rocket, carrying three astronauts for the Shenzhou 21 manned space mission, blasts off at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (Andy Wong/AP Photo)
China’s nuclear warhead stockpile remained in the low 600s in 2024, reflecting what the report described as a slower production rate compared to previous years. Still, Beijing is on track to exceed 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
China says it adheres to a nuclear strategy of self-defense and maintains a no-first-use policy. But analysts say Beijing’s public messaging increasingly contradicts that restraint.
“For a country that still advocates a policy of ‘no-first use,’ China has become increasingly comfortable showcasing its nuclear arsenal, including parading its nuclear triad together for the first time in September,” said Jack Burnham, a senior research analyst in the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Trump and Xi will meet in South Korea for the first time in six years, on Oct. 30, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)
Burnham said Beijing’s rejection of arms control talks reflects the pace of its weapons construction. “China has no interest in locking in a long-term strategic disadvantage, and every intention of building an arsenal on par with its perceived place in the world, alongside and potentially eventually ahead of the United States,” he said.
The report also warned that China expects to be able to fight and win a war over Taiwan by the end of 2027. Beijing claims the self-governed island as its own territory and has never ruled out the use of force.
China is refining options to seize Taiwan by “brute force,” including long-range strikes up to 2,000 nautical miles from the mainland that could disrupt U.S. military operations in the Asia-Pacific, the report said.
The findings come as the 2010 New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, approaches expiration. The treaty limits both sides to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads.
J-20 fighter jets fly in the sky during flight performance at the aviation open-day activities of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the Changchun Air Show 2025 on Sept. 19, 2025 in Changchun, Jilin Province of China. The event will be held from Sept. 19 to 23 in Changchun. (VCG via Getty Images)
“What is surprising is that China has now loaded only about 100 of the silos it has built recently,” said Gordon Chang. “That’s an indication money is tight in the People’s Liberation Army.”
Chang warned against extending New START without Beijing’s participation. “This is no time for the U.S. to agree to an extension of the New START Treaty with Russia,” he said. “Russia and China are de-facto allies, and they are ganging up on America. Without China in a deal — Beijing has flatly rejected every nuclear arms-control initiative of the U.S. —no treaty can be in America’s interest.”
