China says U.S. nuclear weapons report is speculation

China’s defence ministry on
Tuesday dismissed a Pentagon report about the pace of its
nuclear weapons programme as unfair “gesticulation” and
speculation.
The Pentagon said in a report last month that China would
likely have a stockpile of 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 if it
continues with its current pace of its nuclear buildup.
The figure underscores mounting U.S. concerns about China’s
intentions for its expanding nuclear arsenal, even though the
projections do not suggest China is accelerating the pace of its
already-brisk warhead development.
Responding to the report, China’s defence ministry said the
United States was “gesticulating and absurdly guessing about the
modernisation of China’s nuclear forces”.
The United States should reflect on its own nuclear policy,
especially as it has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, the
ministry added.