U.S. President Joe Biden has reportedly ordered the Pentagon to prepare a deterrence strategy for possible nuclear confrontations with China, Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. U.S. media outlet the New York Times reports that the shift in strategy came in March this year, and aims to respond to "China's rapid expansion in its nuclear arsenal." In a news conference held in Beijing on August 29, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian hit back at Washington, and called on the U.S. to respect its international commitments.