Washington’s depleted stocks and supply chain weaknesses could hand Beijing an important bargaining chip in this week’s talks
5-MIN READ5-MIN1 ListenSeong Hyeon ChoiPublished: 6:01pm, 13 May 2026Depleted US weapons stockpiles as a result of its war in Iran risk eroding Donald Trump’s bargaining power when he meets Xi Jinping in China this week.Accompanying Trump on the high-stakes trip is Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, marking the first time a Pentagon chief has accompanied a president to Beijing since 1972.The weapons shortages not only raise questions about US preparedness for war in the Indo-Pacific, but may give Beijing extra leverage because of its control of the supply of critical minerals that will be needed to resupply the American military.Stocks running lowThe US has been burning through its stockpiles since the start of the war against Iran, and the Pentagon is reported to have moved air defence and cruise missiles from other parts of the world to the Middle East.AdvertisementThese include missiles stationed in the Indo-Pacific region that were originally intended to deter Beijing in major flashpoints such as the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.
Although the United States has enough weapons to continue the fight against Iran, the shortages risk undermining its ability to fight a long war lasting several years, according to a report published last month by the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The think tank estimated that it would take between one and four years to rebuild stocks of seven key missiles back to pre-war levels – something that could prove “critical” in any conflict in the western Pacific.
