China now has 250 nuclear warheads against 240 in 2012; Pakistan has increased its warheads by about 10 to between 100 and 120; and India has also added roughly 10 for a total of 90 to 110, SIPRI said in its annual report.
The arms race is all the more disturbing, said SIPRI, because of what the institute called a "fragile" peace in Asia, characterised by growing tensions since 2008 between India and Pakistan, China and Japan, the two Koreas and others.
"While states have avoided direct conflict with each other and have stopped supporting insurgent movements on each other's territory, decades-old suspicions linger and economic integration has not been followed up with political integration," SIPRI said.
Only the two old superpowers have cut their warheads, Russia reducing its number from 10,000 to 8,500, and the United States scaling back from 8,000 to 7,700.
The warheads controlled by France stayed at 300, while Britain's remained at 225, and Israel's at 80.
SIPRI acknowledged that the figures were to a large extent estimates, as the nuclear powers aren't equally transparent, China being totally opaque, and Russia gradually becoming less open.
SIPRI does not count North Korea and Iran as nuclear powers yet, as their respective programmes are still considered in their early stages.
While the global total of warheads was down, SIPRI said it did not translate into a significantly diminished nuclear threat.
"Once again there was little to inspire hope that the nuclear weapon-possessing states are genuinely willing to give up their nuclear arsenals," said SIPRI Senior Researcher Shannon Kile.
"The long-term modernisation programmes underway in these states suggest that nuclear weapons are still a marker of international status and power."
Efforts to reduce arsenals of chemical and biological weapons have also been slow, according to SIPRI, a long-time advocate of abolishing weapons of mass destruction.
The United States and Russia have not destroyed all their chemical weapons in 2012 as promised. Syria, in the grip of a bloody uprising for more than two years, has said it is prepared to use its weapons in the case of foreign attack.
SIPRI figures also show that the number of peacekeepers deployed around the world fell by more than 10 percent in 2012, due in part to the beginning withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan.
How far they fall will depend on how many peacekeepers will be deployed in Mali, where French-backed forces are fighting Islamist rebels – and potentially in Syria.
The report noted that the United Nations appeared paralysed over the Syria crisis, as China and Russia had blocked Security Council moves to intervene.
"The lack of action over Syria in 2012 highlighted the weakness of international commitment to the responsibility to protect," said senior researcher Jair van der Lijn.
"In the end, national interests and deep-rooted fears that the responsibility to protect undermines the principle of state sovereignty, seem to weigh heavier than the plight of populations caught up in conflict," he added.
SIPRI's annual report also contains data already published, including figures showing a decline in global arms spending in 2012 of 0.5 percent, the first drop since 1998.
The report noted that China had overtaken Britain as the world's fifth largest arms exporter after the United States, Russia, Germany and France.
COMMENTS (16)
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Much the best,excellent,happiest and august news that these South East Asian countries are increasing nuclear arsenals because not only US and other advanced Western countries have rights to get nuclear technology but any countries of the world have this right and for this purpose these countries don't need any permission from any country.And now to keep an eagle on eye on Pakistan,China,India and Iran now US shall stay in Afghanistan even after the withdrawal of US' and NATO's troops in 2014 by pretending to control the Taliban's activities in Afghanistan but furtively to play the role as a watchdog on these countries' nuclear activities because this shall be the undigested for US that South East Asian countries are increasing and getting nuclear arsenals.......
hello ppl as many people ask why so many indians are trolling on their site i wud like to tell them that we dont do it for fighting u but to understand pakistan ppl better and newsite nd coments provide the best way to understand each other insight nd grievances provinding ppl to ppl contact i first come to these sites ocasionaly to understand how common people of pakistan cope with terrorism nd other things i hope pakistan wud also try to understand indians grievences nd 2gathr we both prosper as friends
@Water Bottle: You don't have to pretend to be an Indian to communicate with me. Have guts to write as a Pakistani which will be much appreciate. I won't blow your hypothetical balloon about DRDO, but just in comparison take all countries in the Indian Subcontinent on one side and India on other, the difference is visual. Despite huge population and extreme paradoxes what India achieved is remarkable and at times induces jealousy. As far as Russia - USA - Israel are concerned we are partners and they are more than willing to collaborate and invest with India, this angers Pakistan and then you accuse of discrimination and alienation. Long live our friendship with Russia-Israel-USA.
I wish the world was without nukes and everybody would just learn to get along with one another despite their differences. Conflicts end up harming both sides of the table.
@ i umaid not even more than 10 required for all pakistan,so stil 80 is left over...dont be illogical dude and dont be a hate monger
I read this book called Third World War – Humphrey Hawksley about 10 yrs back..It presents the scenario under which Pakistan nukes India and then India nukes Pakistan and that’s it Pakistan is not mentioned after that, while India is saving other countries, building infrastructure that has been damaged and also engaging with China.
It’s no matter how much warhead Pakistan has; the matter is how big Pakistan is where its infrastructure is. Pakistan hatred won’t take them very far.
@Lala Gee: Actually India can stop at 90 - 110, as its enough to give maximum damage to all countries in the Indian Subcontinent & China. It is not at all discouraging rather its enough to inflict maximum damage. Moreover we don't eat grass. FYI I have a really discouraging news for you : May 19, 2013, India will use its geo-stationary satellites (G-sats) to monitor missile activities in an area of 6,000 km. With this, the country's constellation of G-sats will become the first line of defence in its anti-missile shield. The advantage of using geo-stationary satellites is their fixed position at a height of 36,000 km and synchronised with the earth's movement. "They will capture the signature of any missile launch activities happening in a radius of 6,000 km.This signature will be transmitted to a central control unit which would initiate necessary counter-mechanism"
Delhi,Bombay,Kolkata .......... I think 120 are more than enough now we should have to concentrate on our economy.....
@nishant:
"china increased its arsenal when its average growth for last decade is 10%,india increased its arsenal when its average growth for last decade is 7%,and pakistan increased its arsenal when its average growth for last decade is 3.5%..bravo pakistan"
Well, we are just as much below in GDP compared to China as Pakistan is below us. So, why shouldn't Pakistan increase their nuclear arsenal and we should?
By the way, the coolie who put the bricks together to build your apartment which you paid by slaving an American company, practically eats grass. He didn't put concrete on your wall and went home in a Mercedes.
"Pakistan has increased its warheads by about 10 to between 100 and 120; and India has also added roughly 10 for a total of 90 to 110, SIPRI said in its annual report."
Must be very discouraging news for Indians. Pakistan should always maintain this strategic balance with India to avoid any possibility of a repeat of situation like 1971.
I don't understand why any country would have so many...They say America has enough to blow up the entire planet several times over. Why would they or we have so many more than would actually be needed even in a worse-case scenario? Are they meant for invaders from outer space?
interesting Pakistan have more WMD than India, while India is sandwiched bw Pak & China
haha...china increased its arsenal when its average growth for last decade is 10%,india increased its arsenal when its average growth for last decade is 7%,and pakistan increased its arsenal when its average growth for last decade is 3.5%..bravo pakistan
let everyone have grass ...