Iran, India, and China have been specifically cited by Russian strategists as being potential candidates for membership in an alliance with Russia designed to counter the power of the United States, Europe, and Japan. The missile proliferation role which Russia could play will be further examined shortly. At the same time, China is emerging as a power in its own right. As shown in the figure, from an assumed firing location in Southern China, the DF5A can strike anywhere in the world with the exception of Latin America and the edge of West Africa. Open source accounts indicate that by the year 2000, the DF-5As are likely to be equipped with 6.9 RVs per missile.
China also has several missile modernization programs.
The DF-31 mobile missile will have 8000 kms range and will be able to strike several states. This same missile will have a naval version, the JL-2. It will be deployed on China's new Type 094 nuclear submarine by about 2005. A 12,000 km range version of this mobile missile, the DF-41, is expected to be deployed by 2010. In addition, China has a family of tactical missile systems that it values for their ability to strike high-value targets on China's periphery.