It's possible China will massively expand their nuclear arsenal.
Most of China's weapons are only capable of hitting US regional thralls like south korea, japan, australia. As the US increasingly ramps up tensions and increasingly seems to care less and less about their "allies", China may need to make sure it has sufficient numbers of silo-based ICBM's that can hit the US mainland. Problem is, silos are vulnerable to first strikes, so they'd need enough to destroy the world "several times over" in order to ensure they can at least destroy the USA once over with what they have left in a second strike.
If China was closer to the US, it might get away with maintaining a small second-strike MRBM capable force.
It's possible China will massively expand their nuclear arsenal.
Most of China's weapons are only capable of hitting US regional thralls like south korea, japan, australia. As the US increasingly ramps up tensions and increasingly seems to care less and less about their "allies", China may need to make sure it has sufficient numbers of silo-based ICBM's that can hit the US mainland. Problem is, silos are vulnerable to first strikes, so they'd need enough to destroy the world "several times over" in order to ensure they can at least destroy the USA once over with what they have left in a second strike.
If China was closer to the US, it might get away with maintaining a small second-strike MRBM capable force.
Ditch silos and use submarines. No first strike capability against them and range is a non-issue.