Report: Biden Revamps US Nuclear Deterrent Strategy

Facts

• According to a report published in The New York Times, US Pres. Joe Biden secretly approved the latest Nuclear Employment Guidance (NEG) plan in March. The highly classified document reportedly focuses on China as a nuclear threat.^[1]
• The report cites Vipin Narang, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology nuclear strategist and former Pentagon staff member, as claiming the new strategy addresses the 'increase in the size and diversity' of China's nuclear arsenal.^[1]
• Last month, Pranay Vaddi, a senior director at the National Security Council, said that the revised plan shows 'the need to deter Russia, the PRC, and North Korea simultaneously,' referencing how the US would respond to coordinated attacks.^[2][1]
• In response to the report, White House spokesperson Sean Savett said, 'the specific text of the guidance is classified,' but 'its existence' is not. He noted that the policies are reviewed and updated regularly, but the revamp isn't 'a response to any single entity, country, nor threat.'^[3][4]
• According to the US-based Arms Control Association, China may grow its nuclear arsenal from 500 to 1K by 2030. The Stockholm International Research Institute claims Russia and the US possess over 5K each.^[3]
• This comes amid reports of Russia and China conducting joint military exercises, North Korea and Iran supplying conventional arms to Moscow, and Pyongyang shifting away from its previous policy of maintaining a 'minimum deterrent to accelerate its nuclear weapons program.^[5]

Sources: ^[1]New York Times, ^[2]South China Morning Post, ^[3]Guardian, ^[4]FOX News and ^[5]New York Post.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Moneycontrol. While recent media reports may have painted this news in a glorious form, the truth is that Washington has neither shifted focus away from Russia nor changed its views of China. While China has certainly bolstered its nuclear capabilities and aims to continue doing so, this information, and America's strategy towards it, has been public since 2022.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by AntiWar. The US is setting the stage for yet another unnecessary war. Top US military officials have even alluded to this publicly, making arrogant claims about how they would win should China ever invade Taiwan. While these remarks may be fun for America's top brass, their real-world consequences will be catastrophic for the rest of the world.

Predictions