China expands nuclear arsenal, says think tank

A Swedish think tank says China is the only state among the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty members that has expanded its nuclear arsenal.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI, released its yearbook for 2013 on Monday.

It says 5 nuclear powers belonging NPT and 3 others --- India, Pakistan and Israel possessed approximately 17,200 nuclear warheads as of January this year. That's 10 percent less than a year earlier.

The United States and Russia reduced their strategic nuclear weapons under the terms of New START, the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. They also retired ageing warheads.

The institute says China has 250 nuclear warheads now, 10 more than last year.

It also says Pakistan and India, which aren't members of the NPT, appear to have expanded their stockpiles by 10 each.

Officials from the institute say they don't feel the nuclear weapon-possessing states are genuine about giving up their arsenals.

NHK