Of course, China’s arsenal is still much smaller, but part of the problem is that nobody is quite sure how big it really is. Those 150-400 estimates (which represent a 150+% margin of error for a kick off!) have been around for ages, and in the meantime they have quadrupled their SSBN fleet alone.
For all the ambiguities in the counting rules, the US and Russia are at least bound by arms control agreements that include inspection and verification procedures which result in publishing a rough picture of what’s going on.
Again PRC’s sole SSBN for many years was that single 092 carrying 12 JL-1 missiles (single warhead, max range 1800km). The modernization in the past 10 – 20 years have brought the 094 but the status of the JL-2 is unclear unlike the DF-31/31A which were publicly displayed and acknowledged. Their technology cannot be compared to Ohio, Borei, Triomphant, etc, etc class SSBN. One Ohio class can carry 24 Trident SLBM each carrying how many warheads exactly? You do the math. I wouldn’t be surprised if it out numbers the entire PRC nuke-arsenal. What PRC is going through is a much needed modernization of it armed forces. Its big country and have a large amount of obsolete equipment to be replaced. Problem is their traditional secrecy, but they are slowly opening up.
Here’s something : Dennis J. Blasko Speaks at Whittier College
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOGW0HC0v44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DQ1_ldLBGk
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