Biden approves new nuclear strategy focussed on coordinated Russia-China threat

President Joe Biden has quietly approved a new US nuclear strategy focusing on China’s rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal earlier this year, a new report has revealed.

The Nuclear Employment Guidance (NEG) is designed to prepare the US for potential nuclear confrontations with Russia, China, and North Korea, The New York Times reported. The strategy takes into account the rapid expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal and ongoing threats from Russia, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine, the report said.

On Tuesday, the White House said it was not a response to any specific country or threat, but rather a broad deterrent policy. Spokesperson Sean Savett said that while “the specific text of the guidance is classified, its existence is in no way secret. The guidance issued earlier this year is not a response to any single entity, country, nor threat”.

The strategy is also significant as the New Start nuclear arms control agreement with Russia is set to expire in 2026 without a replacement in place. Under the treaty, which was last extended back in 2021 through to 2026, the two nations are allowed to inspect each others’ nuclear weapons facilities.

In January last year, a US State Department spokesperson said that Russia “is not complying with its obligation under the New Start Treaty to facilitate inspection activities on its territory”.

“Russia’s refusal to facilitate inspection activities prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of US-Russian nuclear arms control,” the spokesperson said.

The NYT reported that the NEG reflects the Pentagon’s assessment that China’s nuclear capabilities will soon rival those of the US and Russia, fundamentally