Outside of the Ottomans, Western military has engaged with militaries elsewhere with absolute and overwhelming technological superiority after the Mongols routed them in the 13th Century ,till today.
From the bronze-age Incas and Aztecs, to the bowmen of North America, the assegai warriors in Africa, the charging Pathan swordsmen , Dao-wielding Qing soldiers, the boomerangs of Australia to the outmatched Iraqis and Talibanis.. all were failed by their inferior weapons.
On the single occasion a non-Western nation achieved technological parity in arms ( Imperial Japan) the much vaunted Western military folded like umbrellas on contact.
So the very thought of a non-Western country achieving parity in the most powerful weapon systems ( nuclear) is making them sweat profusely. Their protests have nothing to do with safety or security, everything to do with their entitled mentality.
Towards this end they are using the media,
" leaks" , " Anonymous sources " et all to mentally prepare the Chinese to think below a figure of 1000 nuclear warheads so that they retain absolute dominance.
The Chinese I am sure has seen through this tactic. They should present a faith accompli of a minimum 5k warheads ( ie parity).. the Anglos will then lose their smug countenance and will either start behaving themselves, or bankrupt themselves trying to pile on more.