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Text| Xu Ludi
Edit| Zhaoming
Since the beginning of June, the United States has carried out two nuclear missile launch tests that have shocked the world, and this series of moves has undoubtedly aggravated the tense atmosphere in the international community. What is even more interesting is that shortly after these two tests, the US Deputy Secretary of State made another controversial "chaotic statement" at a public event, frequently mentioning and hyping up the so-called "China threat".
Specifically, on June 4, the US military successfully launched a "Minuteman III" intercontinental missile at the Vandenberg test site, which accurately hit the Marshall Islands test site located deep in the Pacific Ocean. Then, just two days later, on June 6, the U.S. military successfully launched a second missile, once again demonstrating its powerful nuclear strike capability.
From the test site in California to the test site in the central Pacific Ocean, these two tests not only demonstrated the long range of US nuclear weapons, but also highlighted the high degree of self-confidence of the United States in the combat readiness of its nuclear forces.
However, in the eyes of other countries in the world, this move by the United States has undoubtedly exacerbated the risk of an international nuclear arms race and is not conducive to global peace and stability, and these displays of nuclear weapons are powerful evidence of US "nuclear deterrence."
The nuclear threat of the United States
In today's complex and volatile international environment, the number and distribution of nuclear weapons, as the ultimate deterrent force, have always been the focus of global attention.
According to the United States, the United States currently has 1,770 deployed nuclear warheads and 1,938 nuclear warheads in storage.
Globally, as of January this year, the total number of nuclear warheads in the world was as high as 12,121, of which about 9,585 were available. This number cannot help but be staggering, because it represents a terrifying force that has destroyed human civilization many times.
In contrast, among these nuclear warheads, the United States has the largest number of nuclear weapons and the most advanced technology, and these figures reveal the great strength of the United States in the field of nuclear weapons, and also reflect the grim reality of the distribution of nuclear forces around the world.
The "Minuteman III" intercontinental missile launched by the United States this time is an important component of the US land-based nuclear forces, and the United States has a total of 400 "Minuteman III" intercontinental missiles, while the land-based nuclear forces have deployed a total of about 800 nuclear warheads.
These nuclear warheads are carefully deployed in missile silos around the globe, ready to respond to possible nuclear threats. However, the existence of nuclear weapons is both a deterrent and a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it can prevent direct conflict between major powers through deterrence; On the other hand, once nuclear weapons are used, the consequences will be catastrophic, not only causing a large number of casualties and property damage, but also causing long-term effects on the global ecological environment.
Hyping up China's "AI military threat"
Since this is a double-edged sword, it is natural that the international community should limit the production and proliferation of nuclear weapons and promote the global nuclear disarmament process through the formulation of various treaties and agreements.
At the same time, countries also need to strengthen nuclear security cooperation, raise the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, and reduce the risk of nuclear war. However, as one of the world's largest possessors of nuclear weapons, the United States naturally believes that it has the right to speak, and even the leading power, on the issue of nuclear weapons.
Recently, the United States, which has always pursued an aggressive nuclear deterrence policy, has once again pointed the finger at China in an attempt to maintain the authority of its nuclear deterrence policy by hyping up the "China threat theory."
On June 24, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Campbell held a public discussion on "AI and nuclear issues" between China and the United States at an event at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations and attempted to negotiate with China.
Campbell used the excuse that China has not disclosed the number of nuclear weapons, and once again put forward the old tune of "China threat theory". Not only that, the deputy secretary of state also combined the current hot topic of AI, claiming that China's AI technology development will pose a threat to the global military balance, hyping up the so-called "AI military threat".
Campbell believes that China's rapid development of AI technology will pose a threat to the global military balance. However, this concern is not entirely based on facts.
In fact, the application of AI technology in the military field is a global trend, and not only China is developing, but other countries are also actively investing in research and development.
Moreover, the application of AI technology does not necessarily mean an increase in military threats, but may instead reduce the risk of conflict by improving combat efficiency and reducing miscalculations.
There are only losers and no winners on the nuclear issue
In fact, as early as March this year, China and the United States resumed the first semi-official nuclear weapons negotiations in five years, and then on June 17, a Swedish think tank released a research report on the number of nuclear weapons in the world, which once again aroused widespread attention from the international community.
In this report, the United States is once again trying to shift the focus to China, trying to use the topic to demand that China disclose the number of its nuclear weapons.
Unlike the United States, which likes to trumpet its nuclear weapons capabilities in order to assert its global hegemony, China's nuclear weapons policy is quite different.
China's nuclear weapons are used only for self-defense and are aimed at safeguarding the country's fundamental interests and security. Therefore, for national security reasons, China will not easily announce the number of its nuclear weapons.
The reason why the United States blindly presses China to disclose the number of nuclear weapons is nothing more than to take this opportunity to understand China's nuclear weapons development and provide reference for formulating a more precise nuclear strategy.
Most crucially, the United States also wants to show the international community that it is concerned about China's nuclear weapons development, and thus find a reasonable excuse for its own expansion of its nuclear arsenal.
The purpose of the United States in pursuing military hegemony is not too obvious, but they have always liked to whitewash peace. As a result, China has been set up as an imaginary enemy, and it wants to use public opinion to exert pressure and rationalize its own expansion of nuclear weapons.
However, whoever possesses the most or the best nuclear weapons must be soberly aware that nuclear weapons are not a means of settling international disputes, but a tool for the destruction of humanity.
During World War II, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, instantly flattening the two cities, causing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian casualties. The rise of that mushroom cloud has become an eternal wound in human history.
Today, more than half a century has passed, but the shadow of nuclear war still looms over the hearts of mankind. No matter which country has the most nuclear weapons or the most advanced nuclear weapons technology, all countries will be the losers in the face of nuclear war.
Resources:
Reference News 2024-06-09 09:05:28"The United States launched two "Minuteman"-3 ICBMs in a row"
Global Times-Global Network 2024-06-21 15:59:46China and the United States resumed their first semi-official nuclear weapons negotiations in five years in March? Response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs》
Observer.com 2024-06-25 10:48:16"On the Sino-US "AI and Nuclear Issue" Negotiations, U.S. Officials Hype the "China Threat", but Send "Chaotic Signals""