China is sprinting toward nuclear parity with the United States — and it is already winning. Last month, the Congressional Research Service reported that Beijing is conducting the most ambitious nuclear expansion in its history, racing to build a larger and more survivable arsenal that threatens American interests from the Taiwan Strait to the continental U.S. itself. This is no longer a distant concern. It is an immediate strategic emergency.

The Department of War’s 2025 China Military Power Report assessed that China possessed 600 nuclear warheads in 2024. Projections show its stockpile will exceed 1,000 by 2030. The Federation of American Scientists confirmed the arsenal doubled from 260 warheads in 2015 to 600 by 2026. This marks the fastest nuclear growth of any power since the Cold War.