A Fish Called Wanda

北京 (Běijīng) risks stoking new arms race with move although military says expansion of the U.S. missile defence has left it with no choice The Chinese military is poised to send submarines armed with nuclear missiles into the Pacific Ocean for the first time, arguing that new U.S. weapons systems have so undermined 北京 (Běijīng)’s existing deterrent force that it has been left with no alternative. Chinese military officials are not commenting on the timing of a maiden patrol, but insist the move is inevitable. [Read more].

• Julian Borger, China to send nuclear-armed submarines into Pacific amid tensions with U.S., THe Guardian, May 26, 2016

A Chinese navy submarine. China has been working on ballistic missile submarine technology for more than three decades. Photo: Guang Niu/Getty Images.