A new type of nuclear submarine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is reviewed during a naval parade staged to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy on the sea off Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on April 23, 2019. Photo: Xinhua

The US recently claimed that China has fielded new, longer-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) to threaten the US, but Chinese military experts said on Sunday that China's SLBM development aims to defend itself from nuclear blackmail, and that the US military's speculation has ulterior motives which would see it gain more funds to enhance its capabilities.

China has equipped six of its Jin-class (Type 094) submarines with JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missiles, which were built to threaten the US, Admiral Sam Paparo, the head of the US Pacific Fleet, told military reporters at a Friday conference in Washington, Bloomberg reported on Saturday.

This is the first time the US has acknowledged that China has fielded the weapons on its nuclear-powered submarines, allowing it to hit the continental US from much closer to its own shores, Bloomberg said.

China's previous model SLBM, the JL-2, had a range about 7,200 kilometers, while the new JL-3 could have a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, the report said, citing other sources.

China has not announced the commissioning of the JL-3.

By hyping China's normal national defense development, the US military has ulterior motives of seeking more presence in the Asia-Pacific region amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as more funds to contain China, analysts said.

The US military wants to deploy more anti-submarine forces in the West Pacific and to develop more advanced nuclear-powered submarines of its own, including the Columbia-class that is scheduled to replace the Ohio-class, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Hyping the "China threat" theory will get the US military more funds to do so, Wei said.

China maintains its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level that is required for national defense, not to mention that its submarine-based nuclear forces are built for counterattacks only, Wei said. They will not proactively threaten or attack anyone, but will deter nuclear blackmail from other countries, he said.

A test launch of a JL-3 was allegedly carried out in June 2019, and Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense at the time said that the scheduled tests were normal and were not aimed at any country or particular target.

"China always adheres to a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and a military strategy of active defense. The development of weapons and equipment aim to serve the basic needs of safeguarding China's national security," Ren said.

In January 2022, Fu Cong, director general of the Arms Control Department at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press briefing that while China has no plan to drastically expand its nuclear arsenal, the country will continue to modernize it under the changing security environment.