Joe Biden signs classified nuclear plan to counter China’s might, says report

“The specific text of the guidance is classified,” said White House spokesperson Sean Savett, “its existence is in no way secret. The guidance issued earlier this year is not a response to any single entity, country, nor threat.”

Rising concerns over China and Russia’s nuclear capabilities

The new strategy comes amid growing concerns over China’s rapid nuclear expansion and Russia’s increasingly aggressive posturing. The New York Times highlighted that the U.S. is particularly worried about the rapid buildup of China’s nuclear arsenal, which is expected to rival the size and diversity of U.S. and Russian stockpiles within the next decade.

This development is occurring against the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, raising alarms about a potential escalation in global nuclear tensions.

The U.S.-based Arms Control Association has noted that despite these concerns, the overall U.S. nuclear weapons strategy remains consistent with the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review.

According to Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, “While U.S. intelligence estimates suggest China may increase the size of its nuclear arsenal from 500 to 1,000 warheads by 2030, Russia currently has about 4,000 nuclear warheads, and it remains the major driver behind U.S. nuclear strategy.”

Biden’s approval of the revised strategy in March reflects the administration’s increasing focus on countering the nuclear strategies of both China and Russia. This shift marks a departure from years of nuclear arms reduction efforts, indicating a growing willingness to expand the U.S. nuclear arsenal in response to the perceived threats from these two powers.

Preparing for a multi-front nuclear challenge

The new U.S. nuclear strategy underscores the administration’s readiness to face a multi-front nuclear challenge. According to the Times, two senior administration officials were allowed to reference the updated strategy earlier this year without explicitly disclosing its existence.

In June, Pranay Vaddi, a senior director of the National Security Council, warned that without changes in the nuclear strategies of China and Russia, the U.S. was prepared to move from merely modernizing its existing weapons to expanding its arsenal. Vaddi highlighted the strategy’s emphasis on deterring Russia, China, and North Korea simultaneously.

This policy shift comes at a critical juncture, as the last major nuclear arms control agreement with Russia, the New START treaty, is set to expire in early 2026. With no successor agreement on the horizon, the U.S. faces the prospect of navigating a world where multiple nuclear-armed adversaries are no longer constrained by formal arms control measures.

Compounding the challenge is the deepening political and economic alignment between China and Russia.

Last month, Chinese and Russian long-range bombers conducted a joint patrol near Alaska for the first time, followed by live-fire exercises in the South China Sea. These developments highlight the increasing cooperation between the two nuclear powers, further complicating the global security landscape.

Vipin Narang, an MIT nuclear strategist who served in the Pentagon and is now a senior administration official, echoed these concerns. Speaking earlier this month, Narang said that Biden had “issued updated nuclear weapons employment guidance to account for multiple nuclear-armed adversaries” and to address “the significant increase in the size and diversity” of China’s nuclear arsenal.

He added, “It is our responsibility to see the world as it is, not as we hoped or wished it would be.”

As global tensions rise, the administration’s new nuclear strategy reflects a pragmatic approach to the increasingly complex and dangerous international security environment. With the potential for a multi-front nuclear confrontation looming, the U.S. is taking steps to ensure that it remains prepared to meet these challenges head-on.

The broader implications of the revised strategy

The approval of the Nuclear Employment Guidance is not just a response to immediate threats but a recognition of the broader shifts in global power dynamics. As the U.S. grapples with the rise of China as a nuclear power and the continued threat posed by Russia, the revised strategy represents a significant evolution in how the U.S. views and prepares for nuclear conflict.

Former President Donald Trump, during his presidential campaign, repeatedly warned that the U.S. was heading toward a major nuclear conflict. In a recent interview with Elon Musk, livestreamed on X (formerly Twitter), Trump suggested that China could “catch up, maybe even surpass” Washington in terms of nuclear weapons.

However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian dismissed these claims, stating at a press conference that the “nuclear arsenal of the U.S. is way bigger than China’s.”