The US expressed concern over China's alleged work on expanding its nuclear arsenal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a virtual meeting of more than two dozen country-participants of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
"The Secretary noted with deep concern the rapid growth of [China's] nuclear arsenal which highlights how Beijing has sharply deviated from its decades-old nuclear strategy based on minimum deterrence," the statement from the Department of State said.
The allegations that China was growing its nuclear arsenal emerged because of satellite images that purportedly showed the construction of new nuclear missile silos. China did not officially confirm the claims, but in 2020, when the Trump administration unsuccessfully tried to include Beijing in the renewed Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), Beijing turned down the offer on the grounds that it had a significantly smaller nuclear arsenal than the US or Russia – the two parties to START.
Other Sources of Concern for US
Apart from that, Blinken also raised other issues of concern for Washington, specifically Beijing's "provocative" behaviour in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. China considers a significant part of the sea as its own territorial waters and exercises de facto control over them. However, four other countries - plus Taiwan - make territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The US has been accusing Beijing of impeding freedom of navigation in the area and has routinely sent its navy to the sea, which has sailed dangerously close to Chinese forces at times. Beijing harshly condemned these missions as "provocations", which one day might lead to an armed confrontation which neither of the countries needs.
Speaking at the ARF meeting, Blinken also said the US is concerned about the alleged human rights abuses in Tibet and Xinjiang regions, as well as in Hong Kong. Washington and other western countries claim that Beijing oppresses the population of these regions, but China vehemently rejects these accusations. Beijing also likened such claims to meddling in the country's domestic affairs, which is illegal under international law.