The Chinese government has rejected a recent Pentagon report claiming that it has more than 500 operational nuclear warheads in its arsenal, calling the report "prejudiced and distorted" and stressing that China has no intention of engaging in a nuclear arms race.

The Pentagon report estimated that Beijing will have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, a significant increase from previous estimates.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized that its nuclear arsenal is "exclusively for defensive purposes" and that it does not pose a threat to any other country.