Beijing will soon reach a milestone in nuclear weapons build-up: US

The development of a nuclear triad raises the long-term stakes in the complex relationship between Beijing and Washington

China’s rapid military buildup means the country is closer to joining the US and Russia as the top nations capable of deploying nuclear weapons on land, in the air and at sea, the Pentagon warned in a new report.

China’s progress in upgrading its strategic bombers to carry nuclear payloads puts it on the cusp of achieving a “triad” of delivery systems, punctuating a two-decade investment that coincided with the country’s economic rise, according to an annual Defense Department report to Congress published on Tuesday.

“Over the next decade, China will expand and diversify its nuclear forces, likely