Trump says the U.S. has the largest number of nuclear weapons in the world, and China may catch up within five years.

Trump said today: "The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country. This includes a complete modernization and upgrading of existing weapons, which was completed during my first term. Given the tremendous destructive power of nuclear weapons, I am very reluctant to do so, but there is no alternative! Russia is second, China is third, but will catch up with the United States within five years. Considering the nuclear test plans of other countries, I have instructed the War Department to begin nuclear weapon tests in an equal manner. This procedure will be initiated immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Comment: Trump's remarks are full of factual errors and strategic calculations, which are a dangerous "nuclear card" performance. His claim that the United States has the largest number of nuclear weapons in the world, and that China will catch up with the United States within five years, seriously contradicts the data from SIPRI reports - Russia actually has more nuclear warheads than the United States, and China has about 500 nuclear warheads, which is only one-tenth of that of the United States and Russia, and the number of warheads in a high state of readiness is far less than that of other countries. Putting forward this argument at the time of the Sapporo meeting between China and the United States is essentially using a false "threat narrative" to pressure the negotiating opponent, while sending a "strong signal" to both domestic and foreign audiences, covering up the technical anxiety of the delay in the U.S. nuclear arsenal update. And the statement of restarting nuclear tests is an open challenge to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. It may trigger a chain reaction of nuclear arms race, and it also increases the risk of global nuclear conflict in the process of making nuclear deterrence a tool, adding another fatal vulnerability to an already fragile international security structure.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847393720467464/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.