**Pentagon Report on Chinese Military Power: “Corruption Among High-ranking Chinese Military Hampers Modernization”**
(Washington=Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Dong-hyun – The U.S. Department of Defense has stated that despite corruption problems among high-ranking Chinese military officials potentially hindering military modernization, China continues to rapidly expand its military power, including its nuclear arsenal.
On the 18th (local time), the Pentagon released the “2024 China Military Power Report,” assessing that China possesses over 600 operational nuclear warheads by mid-2024.
The report further estimates that China will have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030 and will continue to expand its nuclear capabilities at least until 2035.
The Pentagon highlighted that China possesses the world’s most advanced hypersonic missiles and has made significant progress in developing hypersonic missiles equipped with both conventional and nuclear warheads over the last 20 years.
In 2023, widespread corruption within the high-ranking leadership of the Chinese military was exposed, which may have hindered the advancement of the military’s modernization goals, according to the report.
The Pentagon observed that corruption issues were found in all parts of the Chinese military and might have shaken the regime’s trust in its top military officials.
It also noted that while the Chinese military has exhibited “uneven progress” towards its goal of modernization by 2027, achieving this goal could make the Chinese military a more valuable tool in the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts for Taiwan unification.