Chinese: WMD Proliferation in Asia: US Response

Monika Chansoria

Through the Cold War years, the US nuclear strategy and arms control policies demonstrated diminutive concern over China’s nuclear capabilities primarily since it did not figure as a major factor in the US nuclear calculus which, in any case, remained centred on Soviet nuclear arsenals. However, the end of the Cold War witnessed China increasing its regional influence on the plank of rising Chinese economic and military power and growing diplomatic and political interchange abroad. From Washington’s perspective, Beijing showed a darker side in its dealings in the realm of proliferation and technology transfer. Of greatest concern to Washington was the documented Chinese behaviour contributing to the spread of technology relating to the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) along with their means of delivery to states that were a cause of concern to Washington.

This book analyses these issues in the backdrop of the changing trends in the American and Chinese conceptions of security in the post-Cold War age. Although China claims to abide by non-proliferation norms, riding on a campaign to garner a greater international image, its participation has been tarnished on many accounts when it has violated the terms and conditions of non-proliferation arrangements. While Washington was critically vocal regarding China’s contribution to the nuclear and missile capabilities of nations such as North Korea and Iran, it was conspicuously soft on the similar issue vis-à-vis Pakistan and the nuclear black market web woven by disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist AQ Khan. These developments compel us to ponder over whether a few countries can be trusted with WMD and their means of delivery, while others cannot, and this trust would ultimately depend on, and consequently shift, as American attitudes, interests and policies change—thus, setting the theme of the book.

Monika Chansoria Dr Monika Chansoria is presently Research Fellow and Deputy Editor at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi. She joined CLAWS following completion of her Post Doctorate from Paris, France. She was based as a Hermès Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in International Relations at the Centre d’études et de Recherches Internationales and Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme in Paris during the academic year 2007-2008. Moreover, she has received a Ph.D. Degree in International Relations from the American Studies Division, Centre for Canadian, US and Latin American Studies of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, in addition to an M. Phil. Degree from Delhi University and Post-Graduation from Hindu College, Delhi University.

Dr Chansoria has written extensively on her areas of specialisation that include US security policy and strategy in Asia with special reference to China’s military modernisation and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and has contributed numerous research papers and articles in edited volumes as well as various journals. These include a recent CLAWS Occasional Paper titled Iran’s Nuclear Quagmire: Trends and Challenges (New Delhi: Centre for Land Warfare Studies and KW Publishers Pvt Ltd, December 2008.) Dr Chansoria is currently working on a project on China’s military modernisation, which is expected to result in a book-length manuscript.