That does not mean they have enough time to adjust their mindset China has enough nuclear offensive to deter US attack on China. Just like all in your 40 years time, you are mis fed with wrong info of weak opponent and suddenly you realised the truth. Does this mean you will suddenly look upon the old time for with high esteem? You may even determined to try beat him once and for all out of esteem and continue misinfo.
for the 69 years of nuclear weapons history only twice has a nuclear weapon ever been fired in anger. Both times by the USA against Japan. The horrors of nuclear war is that of the reality that after the radioactive smoke had cleared the only survivors would be living in the southern hemisphere. (Australia becomes a super power!)That vision is MAD. The realization that the act would sanitize the very nations that engaged in it. The way that was realized was not just stock piles of your nukes but agreements with allied or semi allied states. IE if Russia had nuked the US; England, France and even China would irradiate Russia because of treaty.
The question is is that old treaty still allocable? The US Chinese relationship was established in the 1970s after China joined the nuclear club it basically agreed that as long as China does not attack a US Allie the US does not go after China and vise versa, if either is attacked by Russia the other renders aid.
SALT between the US and Russia has helped break down alot of the excess weapons of the powers but as mostly retired alot of the oldest of outta date weapons. This leaves a very potent nuclear arsenal in both directions of China. And leaves us with a quandary, should China need a large nuclear weapons program? I don't think it does as its more a relic maintaining a large force is extremely expensive and of little actual use. As no one is likely to use it. As a deterrent a small but efficient program seems a more realistic option especially if based on harder to target assets like SLBMs. Realistically the need of strategic weapons has reduced, that is not to say been eliminated. Nukes only can prevent a massive conflict between the major powers, they play no factor in major to minor league. For example the argument is the USA would never trade Taiwan for Los Angeles. The problem is that does not mean the US could not become a factor in the invasion scenario. Nuclear weapons play for a pause but the stop has to be the realistic threat.
that said... I hate nukes. I would love it if all the nuclear silos on earth were emptied and repurposed to ABM platforms. And if all the boomers on the planet were SSGMs. I want to see a day when children go to a musum and stare dumbfounded at a nuclear warhead wondering just what it is as they never heard of one in there whole life.
