Mr. TURNER. What is your assessment of Chinese intentions in the nuclear realm? China continues to modernize and expand its nuclear forces while we decrease ours. How does our strategic posture account for the uncertainty that China may further build up its forces and seek (or exceed) parity with the U.S. and Russia?
General KEHLER. China has a long-standing ‘‘No First Use’’ policy regarding nuclear weapons. China’s modernization of their nuclear forces is in line with this policy, with their nuclear arsenal designed to be a sufficient and effective deterrent to foreign use (specifically the U.S. and Russia) of nuclear weapons against China. At this time, China doesn’t appear to seek to expand their nuclear arsenal beyond what they perceive as a credible deterrent and is unlikely to attempt to match numbers of nuclear weapons or warheads with either the U.S. or Russia.
STRATCOM Commander Gen. Robert Kehler, response to a question for the record pursuant to a House Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on the Status of United States Strategic Forces, March 2, 2011.
