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Why has China doubled its nuclear capacity in the last decade?

For decades, China pared back its nuclear weapons program and kept its arsenal to a minimum. Now, new satellite images show China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal and production sites. Why?

Copyright 2026 NPR

Emily Feng
Emily Feng is an international correspondent for NPR covering China, Taiwan and beyond from her base in Washington D.C.
Hannah Bloch
Hannah Bloch is a senior digital editor on NPR's International Desk, overseeing the work of NPR correspondents and freelance journalists around the world. Her first contributions to NPR were on the other side of the microphone when, as a writer and editor at National Geographic, she was interviewed by NPR for her reporting from Afghanistan and on the role failure plays in exploration. During her 2004-2014 tenure at National Geographic, she also reported from Easter Island and covered a range of topics including archaeology and global health.
Daniel Ofman

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