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On this episode of China Uncensored, let's just all live together in peace, ok?
Ok, China? We're friends, right?
Hi, welcome to China Uncensored, I'm your host Chris Chappell.
Today I must report a terrible tragedy...
I, may have been wrong about something.
In early 2014, I made an episode called "Is China a Nuclear Threat?!"
“"Is China a Nuclear Threat?!"
Well, the short answer is no. The long answer is noo.”
Well, a year and half of weapons testing later, it turns out the answer is now YES! GOD YES! THEY ARE A NUCLEAR THREAT!
How shall we deal with the impending threat?
Who shall we turn to in our hour of need?
The Chinese Defense Ministry said last Friday that on June 7, they conducted a test of a hypersonic glide vehicle.
US Defense officials confirmed this as the latest of four different tests conducted in the last 18 months of "extreme maneuvers by the high-speed strike weapon" and that it could be a "nuclear delivery vehicle."
The Pentagon's code word for China's hypersonic glide vehicle is "WU-14."
Now wait, Chris.
Don't you mean, supersonic?
Nu-uh.
I mean, hypersonic.
Compared to hypersonic weapons, supersonic weapons are about as fast as your grandmother trying to send an email on AOL dialup.
This is how the WU-14 works.
First, they load it with some sort of weapon--hopefully just paintballs or something.
Then they use an intercontinental ballistic missile, like in a James Bond movie, to launch it into outer space.
Then, once in outer space above its intended target, the WU-14 with its weapons payload is released,
where it zooms back down through the atmosphere at seven-and-a-half thousand miles per hour, or about 10 times the speed of sound,
so it can reach the ground in under 60 seconds.
And the WU-14 doesn't necessarily travel in a predictable arc.
In fact, according to the Washington Free Beacon, US Intelligence says the WU-14 is specifically designed to break through US missile defense systems.
Terrified? Don't be.
Let the soothing words of China's Defense Ministry assure you, "The scheduled scientific research and experiments in our territory [are] normal, and those tests are not targeted at any country and specific goals."
See? China is simply investing untold fortunes into developing state-of-the-art missiles for no real reason at all.
The hypersonic missile test just happened to come right before official talks between US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Chinese counterpart General Fan Changlong.
This test also syncs up with China being upset with the United States for trying to intervene in their *totally legal and peaceful* territorial expansion in the South China Sea.
But to be clear, these tests not targeted at any country or with any specific goals.
Just like earlier in the month when Chinese hackers broke into US federal computer networks and stole the personal information of more than 4 million current and former employees.
It was probably just the Chinese military's way of getting their addresses to send them birthday cards.
You probably don't actually need a fallout shelter.
Although this new WU-14 does make China more realistically a nuclear threat--it's almost certain to stay only as a threat.
China is far less likely to use a nuke against the US than the Soviet Union ever was.
Think about it.
The Chinese military has already hacked our government computers, infiltrated our biggest companies, and stolen our military secrets.
They could probably shut down our power grid or send our stock market into a downward spiral if they want.
And yet they don't.
Because as long as the Communist Party wants to maintain its political and trade relationships with the rest of the world, it has to be way more subtle than that.
And so we're probably safe. At least from being nuked. Not from all the other stuff.
So what do you think of China's hypersonic glider?
Do you think they would ever use it to launch a nuclear weapon at the US?
And how do you think this should affect diplomatic relations?
Leave your comments below and be sure to subscribe for more episodes of China Uncensored.
Once again I'm Chris Chappell, see you next time... if there is a next time.