China Expands Missile Supply Chain to 81 Firms as 2025 Sales Jump 20%
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 12
China Expands Missile Supply Chain to 81 Firms as 2025 Sales Jump 20%
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 12
Eighty-one listed Chinese firms disclosed work on missile components in 2025, more than double Xi Jinping’s first year in power, in Bloomberg’s broadest look yet at the sector.
Sales at those suppliers rose 20% to 189 billion yuan ($28 billion), with about 40% posting their best year since 2013 even as revenue fell in aggregate across China’s 300 largest listed companies.
The filings point to a wider push by CASIC and CASC to channel military orders through civilian and private suppliers making infrared sensors, fiber-optic navigation parts and stealth coatings for cruise and ballistic missiles.
That buildup comes as Pentagon estimates put China’s arsenal at at least 3,150 ballistic missiles and 300 ground-launched cruise missiles in 2024, up 147% and 50% from 2015.
The surge strengthens Beijing’s capacity around Taiwan and across the Indo-Pacific as US stockpiles are strained by the Iran war, though corruption probes and slower 7% defense-budget growth could still curb future orders.
While its economy slows, why is China doubling down on a costly missile arms race with the US?
With its military leaders purged, can China effectively command its vast new missile arsenal in a crisis?
As China's hypersonic missiles threaten US bases, is America's 'denial defense' strategy in the Pacific already obsolete?
China’s Missile Buildup Surges: How a 100+ Warhead Annual Expansion Is Reshaping Global Security and Arms Control
Overview
China is rapidly expanding its missile capabilities, investing heavily in both nuclear and conventional forces to strengthen its deterrence and assert regional dominance. This unprecedented buildup stands in sharp contrast to the production limits faced by the United States and is set to reshape the military balance in Asia. Driven by President Xi Jinping’s push to broaden nuclear options, China has been increasing its nuclear warhead stockpile and advancing its conventional missile technology. These developments complicate U.S. strategic planning and highlight Beijing’s determination to secure a leading role in regional security.