Chinese : WMD Proliferation in Asia US Response

About the Book :

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.

About Author :

Monika Chansoria: Dr. Monika Chansoria is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi. She has done her post-doctorate in International Relations as a Herm?s Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Centre for International Studies and Research, Paris (France), during the academic year 2007-08. She also holds a Ph.D. degree in International Relations from the American Studies Division of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dr. Chansoria was awarded the 2010 French Senior Fellowship by the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l Homme, Paris, as a Visiting Professor and Associate Director of Studies Her areas of research interest include American security policy and strategy in Asia, with special reference to China and proliferation of WMD. Dr. Chansoria is the author of Chinese WMD Proliferation in Asia: U.S. Response (2009) and co-author of Afghanistan: India Strategic Stakes (2010); and Iran Analysis: A Net Assessment (forthcoming). Besides, she has contributed numerous research papers and articles to various edited volumes, academic journals and national and international dailies. She has also been a participant in Track II diplomatic dialogues in India and abroad. She is presently working on China nuclear doctrine and strategy.