Pentagon: China Now Capable of Threatening US Across All Domains

DID Press: US Department of War’s annual report on China’s military power says Beijing’s layered and long-term military expansion has increasingly heightened US vulnerabilities, warning that China is now capable of directly threatening the security of the American homeland.

According to the report, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has expanded its nuclear arsenal, developed long-range missile systems, strengthened cyber capabilities and built advanced space assets, enabling it to pose threats across multiple strategic domains.

The Pentagon said China is progressing toward its military modernization goals for 2027 and has acquired the necessary readiness to use force in a Taiwan-related contingency.

In the nuclear domain, Beijing is developing a “launch-on-warning” doctrine. The report projects that China’s nuclear warhead stockpile could grow from around 600 currently to more than 1,000 by 2030.

It also notes that more than 100 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles have been deployed in Chinese silos, while three large new silo fields with a combined capacity of about 320 missiles are under construction.

The report identifies China as possessing the world’s largest arsenal of hypersonic missiles, including advanced systems such as the YJ-21 and HQ-19.

In the maritime domain, China’s navy is rapidly expanding its capabilities, having tested its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, and planning to field up to six aircraft carriers by 2035.

China is also expected to bring sixth-generation stealth fighter aircraft into operational service by 2035.

In cyberspace, cyberattacks attributed to China increased by more than 150 percent in 2024, with operations such as the “Salt Typhoon” campaign targeting critical US infrastructure.

In addition, Beijing is strengthening its counter-space capabilities, aimed at limiting the United States’ ability to access and operate in space.

Overall, the Pentagon report portrays China as an actor that has now acquired the capacity to pose direct threats to the United States across all strategic domains, including land, sea, air, space and cyberspace.