China's view on arms racing & DPRK space cooperation

22 Oct 2021 | APLN

22 October 2021

Dear Network Members and Colleagues,

This week the APLN features two new special reports: one examining the escalating nuclear and military competition between the United States, Russia and China by Dr. Luo Xi, and another on inter-Korean space cooperation, by Dr. Namrata Goswami. We also showcase two research projects on current WMD threats across the Asia-Pacific, and tailoring the US-Russia Cooperative Threat Reduction program to the DPRK.

A Looming Strategic Arms Race in the Asia-Pacific Region: From a Chinese Perspective

This week, APLN published a special report by Dr. Luo Xi, Research Fellow at the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA), in which she assesses the great power strategic triangle between the United States, Russia, and China, and cautions that an unrestrained nuclear arms race between the United States and Russia affects China’s calculations of its nuclear retaliatory capability, increasing the complexity of interactions between the three nuclear powers, and complicating future arms control negotiations.

Key recommendations include:

Expanding existing missile regulations in terms of their membership and scope.
Sharing nuclear risk reduction responsibilities amongst nuclear-armed states according to the level of nuclear forces each state possesses.
Conducting a multilateral dialogue that aims to persuade nuclear-armed states to switch from “launch under warning” to “launch under attack.”

Read the Special Report

Space Engagement and Cooperation with DPRK

This week, APLN published a special report by Dr. Namrata Goswami. The report examines the DPRK’s existing space capabilities, explores how space cooperation can be operationalized and funded, and offers a scenario-based analysis of the DPRK’s space militarization escalation and its broader impact.

The report argues that there is an urgent need for an institutional framework under which an ROK-DPRK dialogue on the DPRK’s civilian and military space capabilities could occur so as to reduce risks of escalation on the Korean Peninsula.

Read the Special Report

APLN’s WMD project analyses regional security issues including proliferation challenges and flash points in the Asia-Pacific, as well as chemical and biological weapons acquisition, missile proliferation, DPRK denuclearization, and the Indo-Pakistan nuclear confrontation.

Visit the WMD project

APLN’s CTR+ project analyses the potential for an effective Cooperative Threat Reduction plus (CTR+) initiative in the context of a renewed approach to the DPRK. This addresses critical missing elements in the proposed denuclearization of the DPRK and centers around alternative types of engagement.

Visit the CTR+ project

The Naval “Loophole” in the NPT and IAEA safeguards
APLN Member John Carlson published two papers, “IAEA Safeguards, the Naval “Loophole” and the AUKUS Proposal“and “Can Verification Measures Apply to Nuclear Material in Non-Proscribed Military Use by a State with a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement?”, with the Vienna Centre for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation.

Moon says Korean peninsula can learn from Europe on how to build security and peace
On 14 October, APLN vice-chair Professor Chung-in Moon spoke with the EU Reporter during a trip to Europe, and argued that the EU could play a very important role in resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Read more

It’s Time for Biden to End the Korean War
On 19 October, APLN Senior Associate Fellow Jessica J. Lee, wrote for Foreign Policy, where she argued that the Biden administration should support South Korean efforts to make an end-of-war declaration. Read more

China’s prosperity goals and the world
On 20 October, APLN member and former Indian Foreign Minister Shyam Saran wrote an article for Business Standard on the global implications of China’s slowing economy. Read more (paywall)

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