<description>&lt;p&gt;Over the past decade, China has moved from maintaining a relatively modest nuclear deterrent of around 300 warheads to constructing hundreds of new missile silos and expanding toward a projected 1,000 warheads by the 2030s. This is happening alongside breakthroughs in nuclear energy and technology, positioning China as both a nuclear power and nuclear supplier on a global scale.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Guest: Dr Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan (Resident Senior Fellow, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Canberra)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Recorded on 30th October, 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
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Over the past decade, China has moved from maintaining a relatively modest nuclear deterrent of around 300 warheads to constructing hundreds of new missile silos and expanding toward a projected 1,000 warheads by the 2030s.

Over the past decade, China has moved from maintaining a relatively modest nuclear deterrent of around 300 warheads to constructing hundreds of new missile silos and expanding toward a projected 1,000 warheads by the 2030s. This is happening alongside breakthroughs in nuclear energy and technology, positioning China as both a nuclear power and nuclear supplier on a global scale.

Guest: Dr Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan (Resident Senior Fellow, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Canberra)

Recorded on 30th October, 2025.

Asia Rising

#252: China's Rapid Nuclear Expansion

#252: China's Rapid Nuclear Expansion

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