In a big jump in China’s nuclear strike capability, Beijing is now keeping a fleet of submarines patrolling the South China Sea almost around the clock. Of these submarines, at least one of them is equipped with a nuclear warhead, able to hit the continental United States, according to Reuters. The media outlet said the details come from a Pentagon report last November, but got little attention until recently.
The report said these submarines run patrols from China’s southern Hainan island into the South China Sea. The body of water is one of the most hotly-contested in the world.