According to a military report to Congress, China has more ballistic missile launchers than the US.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the US military has informed Congress that China has more land-based fixed and mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers than the US. The message was conveyed to Congress on January 26 in a letter from General Anthony Cotton, head of the US Strategic Command, managing the country’s nuclear arsenal.

 But according to the letter, China doesn’t possess any more ICBMs or nuclear warheads than the US. The letter arrives as politicians and security experts in the US are debating how to react to the Chinese balloon that appeared over Montana, where a portion of its military’s ICBM is deployed.

Following receipt of the letter, Republican chairmen of the Armed Services committees of Congress released a joint statement referring to the letter as “a wake-up call for the United States.”

“To say that China’s nuclear modernization programme is progressing more quickly than most people anticipated is not an understatement. We must immediately alter our nuclear force posture to deter both China and Russia. This will require more people and new abilities “as stated in the statement, according to CNN.

Beijing has been working hard to upgrade its armed forces and increase its nuclear power. US military leaders have warned the government after noticing China’s progress.

ICBMs play a significant role in the US military’s equipment. They are dispersed among 400 “hardened, underground silos,” with an additional 50 silos “kept in warm status,” according to the US Defense Department.