China, N. Korea accelrate nuclear threats to United States

FPI / October 20, 2025

Geostrategy-Direct

By Richard Fisher

Recent U.S. Government testimony reports that China’s strategic nuclear threat continues to increase, while an Oct. 10, 2025 military parade in Pyongyang shows that North Korea may have the world’s largest multiple-warhead nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Both developments point to an accelerating nuclear strategic threat to the United States and its allies.

Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, at a nomination hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee for the position of Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, stated:

“China has rapidly expanded its nuclear arsenal from ~300 warheads in 2020 to ~600 in 2025, with projections of 1,500 by 2035. It has developed a nuclear triad, including silo-based and road-mobile ICBMs capable of reaching the U.S. homeland. China is also establishing new nuclear materials production and reprocessing facilities, despite its public support for a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty.”

Gen. Wilsbach added in response to another question posted on Oct. 9 regarding China’s nuclear threat:

“Over the next decade, China probably will continue to rapidly modernize, diversify, and expand its nuclear forces. The PLA seeks a larger and more diverse nuclear force, comprised of systems ranging from low-yield precision strike missiles to ICBMs with multi-megaton yields to provide options at every rung of the escalation ladder.”

However, new Chinese multiple warhead ICBMs offer the possibility that China will be able to deploy 1,500 warheads well before 2035.

During its Sept. 3 military parade, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force revealed two new solid fuel ICBMs, the mobile DF-61 and the DF-31BJ, an apparent silo-based ICBM.

China has not revealed any official information regarding the performance or the nuclear warhead armaments of these two new ICBMs.

But unofficial Chinese sources indicate that both the DF-61 and the DF-31BJ may be armed with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) warheads, with the DF-61 usually credited with at least ten warheads.

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