Taipei [Taiwan], October 15, 2025: China\u2019s rapid expansion and modernization of its nuclear arsenal have raised growing concerns among global security experts that Beijing could resort to \u201cnuclear blackmail\u201d or even threaten nuclear confrontation in the event of a Taiwan conflict\u2014similar to Russia\u2019s rhetoric during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Taiwan\u2019s Central News Agency (CNA).<\/p>\n
During a recent military parade held on September 3 at Tiananmen Square, China displayed three advanced nuclear-capable missiles \u2014 the JL-1 air-launched ballistic missile, the JL-3 submarine-launched intercontinental missile, and the DF-61 surface-to-surface intercontinental missile.<\/p>\n
Analysts described this as evidence of China\u2019s emerging \u201cnuclear triad,\u201d the capability to deliver nuclear strikes from land, sea, and air \u2014 a capacity Beijing previously lacked.<\/p>\n
Eric Heginbotham, a senior research scientist with MIT\u2019s Security Studies Program, noted that China\u2019s development of tactical nuclear weapons, such as the DF-26 missile, gives Beijing \u201cmore credible\u201d deterrence options compared to its traditional strategic arsenal. \u201cThis not only reduces U.S. escalation dominance but also provides China with more realistic proportional responses to potential U.S. tactical nuclear use,\u201d he said, as cited by CNA.<\/p>\n
Experts suggest that this modernization could embolden China to engage in conventional military operations around Taiwan with less fear of nuclear retaliation from the United States.<\/p>\n
Yang Tai-yuan, chairman of the Secure Taiwan Associate Corporation, warned that the Chinese Communist Party may have drawn lessons from Russia\u2019s nuclear posture during the Ukraine war. \u201cBeijing could use tactical nuclear threats to deter major powers from intervening in its regional disputes, including a potential Taiwan invasion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He further cautioned that such nuclear intimidation might force Washington to reconsider direct military intervention, opting instead for diplomatic or multilateral measures to avoid escalation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Taipei [Taiwan], October 15, 2025: China\u2019s rapid expansion and modernization of its nuclear arsenal have raised growing concerns among global<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[229],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"colormag-highlighted-post":false,"colormag-featured-post-medium":false,"colormag-featured-post-small":false,"colormag-featured-image":false,"colormag-default-news":false,"colormag-featured-image-large":false},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18e12f979c7dbcc2096868fc531de295a11443c392b4bb6e60ce343131707eaa?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Taipei [Taiwan], October 15, 2025: China\u2019s rapid expansion and modernization of its nuclear arsenal have raised growing concerns among global","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["World News"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":2,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":false,"medium":false,"thumbnail":false},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/mediapbn.com\/?author=3"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18e12f979c7dbcc2096868fc531de295a11443c392b4bb6e60ce343131707eaa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"World News<\/a>","videoUrl":"","yoast_head":"\n