Understanding China’s ambition to expand its nuclear program
5/10/20269 min
China’s nuclear weapons capabilities are small compared to that of Russia and the U.S. However, China has been expanding its nuclear arsenal under the leadership of Xi Jinping, doubling in size in just the last decade.
NPR's Emily Feng explains the current state of China's nuclear program and why the country is seeking to further develop it.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Daniel Ofman.
It was edited by Hannah Bloch, Sarah Robbins and Michael Levitt.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsEmily Feng· Host0:00
It's Consider This, where every day we go deep on one big news story. In just a few days, President Trump will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. It's the first visit from a US president in nearly a decade. The last one was in 2017 during Trump's first term in office. Xi welcomed Trump with a grand ceremony. [marching band music] A Chinese military band performed the US national anthem as the two leaders stood side by side on a sprawling red carpet, cascading down the steps of Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Later, President Trump lavished praise on President Xi and his country.
Donald Trump· Soundbite0:39
My feeling toward you is an incredibly warm one. As we said, there's great chemistry, and, uh, I think we're going to do tremendous things for both China and for the United States.
Emily Feng· Host0:50
President Trump has long boasted about his strong personal relationship with Xi, despite the competitive relationship between the two countries. But what is it really like to meet with President Xi? I asked former US Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, about that. He served under President Biden. I'm curious whether you have any insight into his character and any potential rapport he might have with President Trump.
Nicholas Burns· Guest1:16
He is very experienced. He's been president since 2012. He has now dealt with President Obama, President Trump, and President Biden. He knows all of them well. He is a listener. He's, I think, highly intelligent.