Russia boosting China in nuclear arms race, says Pentagon

Russia is helping China produce plutonium that could be used to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal, a US defence official has warned.

Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy monopoly, has provided highly enriched uranium for Chinese fast-breeder reactors that could also turn out weapons-grade plutonium.

John F Plumb, assistant secretary of defence for space policy, told a Congressional subcommittee hearing on Wednesday that the Pentagon is “concerned” about the relationship and saw a link with China’s known plans to expand its nuclear arsenal.

‘It’s very troubling’

“It’s very troubling to see Russia and China co-operating on this,” he said.

“They may have talking points around it, but there’s no getting around the fact that breeder reactors are plutonium, and plutonium is for weapons.

“And of course, it matches our concerns about China’s increased expansion of its nuclear forces as well, because you need more plutonium for more weapons.”

China is building two fast neutron breeder reactors, known as the CFR-600 project, on Changbiao island, off the coast of Fujian province.

The first is due to be connected to the national grid this year. The second will come online around 2026.

Tvel, Rosatom’s fuel subsidiary, signed a contract to deliver fuel to the reactors in 2018. It said it had completed deliveries in January this year.

China says the project is for civilian power generation and that each reactor will generate about 600MW of electricity.

Fast breeder reactors produce more nuclear fuel than they consume, including plutonium, the element used in most nuclear weapons.

China expands nuclear arsenal

Each of the CFR-600 reactors could produce about 200kg of weapons-grade plutonium, enough for about 50 warheads, annually.

Together with other sources that could allow China to bring its nuclear arsenal to 1,270 warheads by 2030, the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, a US-based think tank, has estimated.

That is nearly as many as the US currently has deployed on ICBMs.

China is believed to be pursuing a rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal in a bid to reach parity with the US.

Gen Anthony Cotton, commander of US Strategic Command, informed Congress last month that China now has more ICBM launch platforms than the US, although it does not have as many missiles or warheads.