“The U.S. is peddling the China nuclear threat narrative, finding excuses to seek strategic advantage,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Later, same article
The U.S. has consistently pointed to China’s expansive and growing nuclear weaponry. An annual report by the Pentagon last October said China had more than 500 operational nuclear warheads in its arsenal, and will probably have over 1,000 warheads by 2030.
What is China’s serious concern, exactly? That the US is consistent about its appraisal, or that they’re reacting cogently to it?
The concern is that the USA official stated policy is that they reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in a first strike, while China’s official stated policy is that they will never use nuclear weapons in a first strike under any condition.