The U.S. Ministry of National Defense (War Department) said China's military power has grown to a level that threatens the U.S. mainland. The Ministry of National Defense warned that China's military buildup, including nuclear weapons and conventional forces, could undermine the U.S. military's influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the 2025 report on China's military power released by the U.S. Ministry of National Defense on the 23rd (local time), China has acquired large-scale nuclear, maritime, and long-range strike capabilities that directly threaten U.S. security. The Chinese military's goal is to achieve a strategic victory over Taiwan by 2027 and offset U.S. superiority in strategic domains, including nuclear. To that end, the Chinese military is continuously refining military options for annexing Taiwan, including amphibious operations and a maritime blockade.
The number of nuclear warheads China possesses was found to be in the low 600s as of last year. Compared with the precedent of increasing by around 100 per year over the past few years, the production pace has somewhat slowed. However, the U.S. Ministry of National Defense maintained its previous outlook that China will possess more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. It is also strengthening its capability to detect an enemy missile attack early and strike back. China now likely has more than 100 DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missiles using solid fuel deployed for combat at three silo bases.
Its naval power has also strengthened quickly enough to be threatening. China plans to build six additional aircraft carriers by 2035, operating a total of nine. This is seen as an intention to chase the U.S. Navy, which currently has 11, to the brink. It has also acquired the ability to carry out precision strikes on targets 2,400–3,680 km from Chinese bases. If such attacks are conducted on a large scale, U.S. forces in the Pacific will face a serious challenge.
Major outlets reported that this year's report is half the length of previous years and omits detailed descriptions of Chinese military capabilities. Instead, the U.S. Ministry of National Defense emphasized that U.S.-China relations have improved under President Trump's leadership and made clear it does not want war. The Ministry of National Defense said it will expand communication with the Chinese military and seek ways to convey the United States' peaceful intentions.
Experts noted the conciliatory tone of the report. Tom Karako, who leads the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that "there are fewer details on military equipment than before, while the emphasis on improving U.S.-China relations and military cooperation stands out." Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the Washington Post (WP) that "the sweeping restructuring carried out after the corruption scandal inside the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force could lead to sustainable long-term growth."