US Senate Warns of China's Nuclear Expansion Before Xi-Trump Summit

A US Senate hearing on nuclear capabilities issued a stark warning regarding China's military advancements just hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated in his opening remarks that China is engaged in an unprecedented nuclear expansion. He highlighted that Beijing has rapidly constructed hundreds of new missile silos, expanded its mobile missile and ballistic missile submarine forces, and invested heavily in long-range bombers. Wicker characterized these actions as a strategic effort designed to surpass the United States in nuclear capability within the coming decade. The hearing, which reviewed the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration's defense activities for the 2027 fiscal year, underscored growing tensions in US-China relations. While the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the timing of the warning significantly heightened the geopolitical stakes ahead of the high-level summit between the two world leaders.