USA: Covert Nuclear Deterrence Strategy Against China

According to a sensational publication by the US newspaper New York Times, about half a year ago, in March 2024, US President Joe Biden approved “a strategic plan aimed at reorienting the US nuclear deterrence strategy in light of China’s unprecedented increase in its nuclear arsenal.”

According to Pentagon sources cited by the New York Times, the US expects Beijing’s nuclear capabilities to rival those of the USA and Russian Federation within the next ten years.

The strategy, called the Nuclear Employment Guidance, has not been formally unveiled by the White House. It is a document that is updated every four years, with the new version emphasizing “possible coordinated nuclear challenges emanating from the trio consisting of Russia, China, and North Korea.”

As the New York Times noted, under current procedures, “Biden would have to notify Congress of the measure before his term expires.” Over the past two weeks, certain competent people have spoken out publicly about the new strategy: “The president recently updated guidelines for managing adversaries in the nuclear industry, especially in light of the growing size and diversity of China’s arsenal,” MIT nuclear strategist Vipin Narang, formerly of the Pentagon, said earlier this month. As National Security Council Director of Arms Control and Nonproliferation Pranay Vaddi noted, the new strategy “aims to strengthen deterrence against Russia, China, and North Korea.”