'India's nuclear force a driver behind China's nuke modernisation'

India's nuclear force is an additional driver behind China's nuclear modernisation, the Pentagon has said.

China has deployed new command, control, and communications capabilities to its nuclear forces to improve control of multiple units in the field, the Pentagon said on Friday in its report submitted to the US Congress detailing China's nuclear power.

"Similarly, India's nuclear force is an additional driver behind China's nuclear force modernisation," the Pentagon said in the report.

China's nuclear weapons policy prioritises maintaining a nuclear force able to survive an attack and to respond with sufficient strength to inflict unacceptable damage on an enemy, the report said.

Warheads consisting of multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) and penetration aids, ensure the viability of China's strategic deterrent in the face of continued advances in the US and Russian strategic ISR, precision strike, and missile defence capabilities, the Pentagon stated.

China has maintained a "no first use" policy, stating it would use nuclear forces only in response to a strike against the country, it said.

The country will continue to invest considerable resources to maintain a limited, but survivable, nuclear force to ensure that the Chinese Army can deliver a damaging responsive nuclear strike.

--IANS

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