CHINA'S rapidly-expanding nuclear arsenal is to be tackled for the first time by worried Nato leaders.

The alliance is to hold a top-level meeting to discuss the growing military threat from Beijing which it believes "could harm" all its members.

6 China's DF-17 hyper-glide missile can be launched from a vehicle Credit: AP:Associated Press

US Ambassador to Nato Kay Bailey Hutchison said December's London summit would consider “the opportunities as well as the challenges with China."

China had the second-largest defence budget after the US in 2018 and has added 80 ships and submarines to its fleets - the equivalent of the entire British navy - in the past five years.

“When there is a military build-up, you have to see what you need to defend against,” said Hutchison.

“China has been much more active in global security issues. That means we are going to have to assess the risk of China if they don’t stay in the rules based order that we hope they will.

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“We are open to new (ballistic missile) arms control agreements,” she added, warning that China was “the owner and operator of new missile systems that could harm any of us if used”. The concerns comes just weeks after China unveiled its 8,000mph “flying death sentence” nuke that experts warn can breach ANY defence system. The hypersonic ballistic nuclear missile – Dong Feng 17, or DF-17 – is believed capable of dodging all existing anti-missile shields deployed by America and its allies. China last offered a glimpse of the "blindingly fast and unstoppable" missile in a four-minute video in July. 6 President Xi's is currently developing China's nuclear submarine fleet, warns the Pentagon Credit: AP:Associated Press 6 Military vehicles carrying the DF-41 intercontinental nuclear missile roll past Tiananmen Square Credit: EPA Its footage showed the so-called “flying death sentence” along with a range of other deadly weapons — some of which were also revealed at today's Communist Party's celebration of its 70 anniversary in power. The mysterious DF-17 is a ballistic missile which contains a hypersonic glide vehicle. This weapon can be fitted with a nuclear warhead and is said to be capable of achieving speeds of up to 7,680mph — or ten times the speed of sound. And just last week, Beijing tested a new submarine-launched nuclear missile capable of travelling across the Pacific ocean and destroying San Francisco. The terrifying JL-3 ballistic rocket was unveiled in Bohai Bay, east of Beijing, in the Yellow Sea last month, sources said. 6 A Chinese unmanned drone was also presented during a military parade in Beijing Credit: AFP or licensors

6 Military vehicles carrying DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missiles were also on show during last month's showpiece Credit: AFP or licensors