Don’t Let Chinese Fears of a U.S. Decapitation Strike Lead to Nuclear War

Well-founded or not, Beijing’s fear of a U.S. decapitation strike could prove dangerous. Washington should help mitigate it.

People take photos of rocket artillery units during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3. October 7, 2025, 9:15 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

When Chinese military planners, and probably even the Chinese leadership itself, think about a hypothetical future war with the United States, they are very likely worried that the U.S. military will attempt to decapitate the Chinese leadership. This may sound far-fetched to Americans, but there is very strong evidence that Beijing really does worry about U

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