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China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal and could have 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. China wants to expand because the South China Sea is a crucial global shipping route.

It retains a stockpile of thousands of warheads, with more than 1,500 warheads deployed on missiles and bombers capable of reaching U.S. territory. Putin has spent the last two decades trying to fight Nato expansion, but the possible accession of Ukraine into the military alliance has always touched deeper emotions, and in part motivated him to order the annexation of Crimea and provoke a war in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 14,000 people.

Pakistan is actively developing nuclear weapons, and experts project that it may have the 5th largest arsenal by 2025 with 220-250 warheads. Assuming the Afghan peace talks currently being brokered by China and Russia and involving the cooperation of numerous Middle Eastern and Central Asian nations can succeed, then Pakistan has an opportunity to reach its trade potential – one reason, along with the security aspect that China has invested over US$60 billion into the country through the various CPEC projects.