China has built up its nuclear arsenal at a rate that has far outpaced U.S. estimates and is projected to have 1,000 nuclear warheads by the end of the decade, according to the Department of Defense (DOD).

The Pentagon released a report on China’s military on Tuesday stating that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has accelerated its nuclear program. China’s current purpose in building up its nuclear arsenal appears to be deterrence and retaliation, if necessary, according to information collected by the U.S. government.

“In 2020, the DoD estimated China’s operational nuclear warhead stockpile was in the low-200s and expected to at least double by 2030. However, Beijing probably accelerated its nuclear expansion, and DoD estimates this stockpile has now surpassed 400 operational nuclear warheads,” the report states.

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“By 2030, DoD estimates that the PRC will have about 1,000 operational nuclear warheads, most of which will be fielded on systems capable of ranging the continental United States,” it continued.

The Pentagon estimates that by 2035, China’s People’s Liberation Army could have as many as 1,500 operational nuclear warheads at its disposal.

Read more: Daily Wire