How it develops its nuclear forces will be shaped greatly by how its security relationship with the United States. It is precisely this scenario that concerns many observers of the current political and press frenzy swirling around the U.S.-China relationship. Most independent foreign policy analysts and experts on China agree that the hysteria surrounding this issue is completely out of proportion to the national security issues involved. We should care, of course, how many nuclear weapons China has and how it deploys them. China's arsenal, however, is so small relative to that of the United States that even in the worst case, the impact of its current modernization plans on U.S. national security is marginal.
China has only one type of long-range missile capable of reaching the United States mainland.
Slowly, over the years, the numbers have grown to about 20 missiles deployed today at Luoning, not far from the ancient city of Xi'an, and further north at the Xuanhua military base. Plans to modernize the missile force are underway. China's military and political leaders want new, modern, solid-fueled missiles, like their nuclear peers. The Chinese have been testing a new missile, the DF-41 over the past few years. Like the other powers, China may opt for multiple warheads atop each missile.