U.S President, Joe Biden has approved a new nuclear strategy focusing on China’s rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal earlier this year, according to a new report.
According to The New York Times, the goal of the Nuclear Employment Guidance (NEG) is to get the US ready for any nuclear conflict with China, North Korea, or Russia.
The White House announced on Tuesday that it was not a response to a specific country or threat, but rather a broad deterrent strategy.
According to spokesperson Sean Savett, “the particular content of the instruction is classified, but its existence is in no way secret.
The guidelines published earlier this year is not a response to any specific entity, country, or threat.
The strategy is also significant as the New Start nuclear arms control agreement with Russia is set to expire in 2026 without a replacement in place.
Under the treaty, which was last extended back in 2021 through to 2026, the two nations are allowed to inspect each others’ nuclear weapons facilities.
Over the past few years, the global nuclear landscape has shifted dramatically, prompting the Biden administration to reevaluate and update its nuclear strategy. Traditionally, US nuclear policy has been heavily focused on deterring Russia, given the size and scope of its nuclear arsenal.
However, China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear capabilities has become a growing concern for US defence officials.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has made multiple threats to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, including during a particularly tense episode in October 2022.
During that crisis, President Biden and his team, after reviewing intercepted communications between high-ranking Russian officials, were concerned that the chances of nuclear deployment could have escalated to 50 per cent or more.
