Pentagon flags China military buildup, warns US homeland risk

The US Department of Defense says China’s expanding military power has begun to expose vulnerabilities on the American homeland, according to its newly released report on Chinese military developments. The document places China’s nuclear forces, cyber capabilities and space-based systems at the center of Washington’s security concerns, framing the challenge as a test of deterrence rather than an immediate path to conflict.

China military expansion and US deterrence

Titled Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2025 and published on Dec. 23, the report outlines how the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has made rapid gains across land, sea, air, cyber and space domains. Pentagon analysts say this historic buildup enables Beijing to threaten US security through a broad mix of nuclear weapons, precision strikes, maritime power, cyber intrusions and counterspace technologies.

Nuclear forces and missile capabilities

According to the assessment, China’s operational nuclear warheads stayed in the low 600s during 2024, growing more slowly than earlier forecasts but still projected to surpass 1,000 by 2030. The PLA has likely placed more than 100 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles in silos, improving launch readiness, while also advancing early warning systems, hypersonic weapons and lower-yield nuclear options.

Cyber threats and space warfare

The Pentagon report highlights a sharp rise in cyber activity, noting a 150% increase in intrusions targeting US infrastructure in 2024. These operations include attacks attributed to Volt Typhoon, a Chinese state-linked group accused of infiltrating energy, water, communications and transport networks to enable disruption during a potential crisis, including a Taiwan scenario. In orbit, China’s expanding satellite network and anti-satellite tools are seen as aimed at weakening US military operations in space.

Naval power and regional ambitions

China’s navy remains the world’s largest by number of vessels, with the Fujian aircraft carrier completing sea trials and dual-carrier drills conducted for the first time. Pentagon projections suggest Beijing could operate up to nine carriers in the long term, with six in service by 2035, supporting President Xi Jinping’s goal of a “world-class” military by 2049 and nearer-term objectives linked to Taiwan.

Beijing rejects Pentagon claims

While emphasizing that the US seeks to prevent domination in the Indo-Pacific rather than “strangle, dominate, or humiliate China,” the report says Washington will rely on overwhelming capability to preserve peace. Beijing, however, dismissed the findings as exaggerated and politically motivated, arguing that the US, as the holder of the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, should lead meaningful stockpile reductions instead of criticizing others.