In August the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference is set to take place in New York. The stakes for member states are higher this year because the previous Review Conference failed to produce a consensus document. In the run to this conference Dr. Michal Onderco, Associate Professor of International Relations, and Marin Lucic, research assistant of Global Social Challenges, investigated China’s nuclear strategy. Their research findings are unique as they were able to use Chinese sources.
In the past investigation of China’s nuclear strategy more generally has been overlooked, due in part to both its lack of transparency and the more accessible strategies of larger nuclear states. This research seeks to remedy this fact by providing insight on China’s nuclear strategy in advance of the NPT using Chinese language and Chinese sources. Findings indicate that China’s approach to the next NPT conference will be characterized by three features:
- the desire to portray itself as a champion of peaceful uses
- the putative disdain for nuclear deterrence
- a disinterest in advancing any regulation of emerging technology in the strategic sphere.
Read more about these research insights and how China will most likely approach the conference here.