Washington, United States

China's nuclear arsenal is expected to more than triple to 1,500 warheads by 2035, according to a Pentagon report released on Tuesday that also highlighted the country's air force's rising level of competence. 

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The greatest significant threat to the United States, according to Washington, is Beijing, and the yearly assessment of China's military highlighted advancements in both its conventional and nuclear forces. 

The report stated that "the Department of Defense estimates that (China's) operational nuclear warheads stockpile has surpassed 400." By 2035, China "will likely field a stockpile of about 1,500 warheads" if its nuclear development pace is maintained.

However, even with that number, the United States and Russia's nuclear arsenals, which each include several thousand warheads, would still be far in excess. 

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During 2021, China will launch 135 test launches of ballistic missiles with the potential to carry nuclear weapons, which is "more than the rest of the world combined," excluding those fired during hostilities, according to the research. 

Furthermore, it noted that Beijing's air force is "rapidly catching up to Western air forces."

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Prior to the publication of the study, a senior defence official stated that China's air force is "trying to... progress rapidly on all fronts,", particularly with regard to the equipment it employs as well as its pilots and other staff. 

The report criticises China's use of force in the Indo-Pacific, claiming that it has "adopted more coercive and aggressive actions." 

This is particularly true in the area of Taiwan, a democratically run island that Beijing claims as its own.

(with inputs from agencies)