China claims it was "forced" to develop nuclear weapons
The Chinese government has claimed it was "forced" to develop nuclear weapons after a U.S. official issued a warning about China’s weapons of mass destruction program.
The Pentagon’s latest report revealed that China has approximately 600 operational nuclear warheads, a hundred more than previously estimated.
In response to the report, China’s Ministry of Defense reiterated that the country adheres to a "nuclear strategy of self-defense and the nuclear policy of not using nuclear weapons first."
"China's development of nuclear weapons is a historic choice that we were forced to make," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun during a press conference on Wednesday.
The spokesperson added that this defense policy was adopted to counter nuclear threats and to end the monopoly on nuclear weapons.
Although the Chinese spokesperson claimed that China has "never engaged in an arms race with anyone," the Pentagon believes that China continues to expand its nuclear arsenal.
(QG - Source: Newsweek / Picture: © Unsplash)