The Pentagon is making a new plan for using nuclear weapons in a regional conflict with China or Russia.

This plan, led by Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby, focuses on using tactical nuclear weapons against military targets in a regional conflict.

The strategy is for situations where China or Russia attacks a US ally, and the US must decide how to respond without starting a large-scale nuclear war.

President Trump is going to Beijing for important talks with Xi as tensions rise over Taiwan and trade.

Russia has shown a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile being launched during military drills, and the Russian Defense Ministry said they will hold drills involving tactical nuclear weapons.

A senior War Department official says the US needs credible nuclear options to strengthen deterrence.

The US is facing two nuclear-armed adversaries, China and Russia, with increasingly capable arsenals.

Russia has many theater nuclear weapons and has talked about its nuclear capabilities during the war in Ukraine. China is also expanding its nuclear forces.

Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use in a region, not for long-range missions.

These weapons can still kill many people, spread radioactive fallout, and trigger nuclear retaliation.

The US is behind in the hypersonic race as China and Russia gain an edge.

China may be doing low-yield nuclear tests, according to a State Department official.

The War Department has not announced a change in nuclear employment policy or a new tactical nuclear weapons program.

The review comes six months after the New START treaty expired without a replacement, leaving the US and Russia without binding limits or inspections.

The treaty did not cover tactical nuclear weapons, where Russia has a significant advantage.

Russia has long relied on its non-strategic nuclear arsenal to offset NATO's conventional military strength.

China's growing arsenal adds a separate challenge for Pentagon planners preparing to face two nuclear-armed competitors.

Supporters of the Pentagon's reported shift say it could strengthen deterrence by giving the US more credible limited-response options.

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Critics argue that putting more emphasis on regional nuclear weapons could lower the threshold for nuclear employment and increase the risk of a broader nuclear war.