China has sharply expanded nuclear arsenal, US says

China has significantly expanded its nuclear stockpile over the past year and is now holding some 500 operational warheads, the US has said.

An annual report released by the Pentagon also said Beijing hopes to double its arsenal to over 1,000 warheads by 2030.

But it said China remained committed to a "no-first strike" policy.

While the report said the growth exceeded projections, China's stockpile is still dwarfed by Russia and the US. read more