By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Worthy News) – A U.S. government-requested study has concluded that the U.S. army is not ready to respond to tactical nuclear weapons strikes by Communist-ruled China if war breaks out.
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) study, obtained by Worthy News on Wednesday, was sponsored by the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
It said, “As the People’s Republic of China (PRC) dramatically expands and modernizes its nuclear arsenal, the risks of PRC nuclear coercion and escalation are evolving.”
Andrew Metrick, one of three CNAS co-authors of the report, added that in “a protracted conflict, nuclear use is unfortunately plausible as either a substitute for conventional arms or as a gamble for termination. In this future, the U.S. lacks the capabilities and concepts needed to achieve effective intra-war deterrence.”
The CNAS said, “Broadly speaking, the emerging nuclear dynamics between the United States and China appear to have different dynamics than those between the United States and the Soviet Union” during the Cold War.
Additionally CNAS suggested that a China-US standoff will “carry a greater risk of limited nuclear use.”
The study was expected to raise alarm bells at a time when China is increasing its military presence near Taiwan, which Beijing views as part of China, and elsewhere in the South China Sea.
Analysts have warned that China’s military actions could impact the smooth flow of trade and hasten a confrontation with the U.S. military backing allies in the region.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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