The leaders of Russia and China have jointly shifted their stance on nuclear weapons, signaling a move away from decades of cautious Chinese thinking. This development was highlighted during the summit on May 16, 2023, between President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, where they issued a joint communique. Although the nuclear aspect of their agreement received little media attention, it underscored a significant shift in their approach, challenging the West’s military presence and alliances in the Asia-Pacific region.
The backdrop to this shift includes China’s accelerated expansion of its nuclear forces, with predictions that its arsenal may more than triple to 1,500 weapons by 2035, as noted by the Pentagon.
Historically, China has adhered to a pledge of not being the first to use nuclear weapons, but its current doctrine remains unclear. The absence of military dialogue with rivals and recent purges within its nuclear command add to the uncertainty. President Xi’s current perspective on nuclear weapons represents a stark departure from the views of previous leaders like Mao Zedong, who famously dismissed the atomic bomb as a “paper tiger.”
