Pentagon warns China aims to become global superpower by 2049

The United States (U.S.) Department of War has raised the alarm that China is planning to become a global superpower by 2049 with a world-class military to protect its interests anywhere in the world.

The latest report from the Pentagon presented to the U.S. Congress on December 23, analysed Chinese military capability and revealed that it has armed over 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that can reach the U.S. in an all-out war.

The report claimed that the long-range DF-31 nuclear-capable missiles, deployed at underground launch sites known as silos, use solid fuel meaning that they can be launched quickly without any extra preparation.

For context, the DF-31 missiles, first tested in 2024, have a range of 6,800 miles meaning that they can hit most of the U.S.

The report stated that the historic military buildup by China, including nuclear, maritime, cyber and space capabilities has made the U.S. increasingly vulnerable, adding that the East Asian country is planning to increase its nuclear warheads to 1,000 by 2030.

The U.S. Congress has agreed to contain the rise of China.

A senior official has said that despite the rising tensions between U.S. and China which led to nuclear weapons being armed, the Pentagon and White House are working to de-escalate the situation.

According to a 2024 report by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Russia has the largest number of warheads in the world closely followed by the U.S.