Should We All Be Worried About The Build-Up Of Communist China’s Nuclear Arsenal (I)

Russia’s state atomic energy corporation, Rosatom, is reportedly supplying two Chinese nuclear reactors with highly enriched uranium fuel, prompting concerns that Russia may be secretly helping communist China develop its nuclear arsenal.

While international outlets had reported on at least three shipments of fuel to the Chinese reactors in Fujian province, Sputnik News revealed that the fuel contained much more highly concentrated uranium than previously reported, leading to suspicions that Russia is aiding China in acquiring enough weapons-grade plutonium to fuel its strategic nuclear weapons program.

In a March letter to the Biden administration, House Republican leaders warned of the dangers of Russia and China working together against the United States and indeed against the entire Western civilisation. They alleged that Putin uses proceeds from nuclear sales to China to fund his war machine and maintain his weapons programs. The US is concerned that the two Chinese plants using fast-neutron breeder designs could convert uranium-238 fuel into weapons-grade plutonium-239, leading to increased Chinese production of weapons-grade fuel that could make communist China a huge player in the nuclear games.

China insists that it is only interested in peaceful electric power generation, but sceptics note that there is little reason to use expensive breeder reactors unless creating nuclear weapon material. Most other countries that built breeder reactors have long since abandoned them.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John F. Plumb has expressed concerns about Russia and China’s cooperation on nuclear development, especially given the Chinese nuclear expansion, which has included the construction of over 300 new missile silos.