| This week, Jun Bong-geun and Joel Petersson-Ivre summarise the findings of APLN’s project on regional views of South Korean proliferation. In this year’s India Forum on China, APLN Policy Fellow Tanvi Kulkarni spoke on the drivers of China’s nuclear build-up, and we revisit Lami Kim’s policy brief on the implications of China’s nuclear modernisation for Northeast Asian security.
As always, we share recent activities from our network, including analysis on emerging technologies, US-China relations, the TPNW, regional cooperation in South Asia, and more. |
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Drivers and Constraints of Nuclear Proliferation: Regional Responses to South Korean Nuclear Armament
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Jun Bong-geun and Joel Petersson-Ivre summarise the findings of APLN’s project on regional views of South Korean proliferation. They propose that, to prevent South Korea from going nuclear, regional states should strengthen the non-proliferation regime, deepen their understanding of the drivers and constraints of nuclear proliferation, and support inter-Korean reconciliation and dialogue to address Seoul’s security concerns.
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Techno Nationalism – Technological Rivalries
in an Era of Great Power Competition
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On 14 December, APLN Policy Fellow Tanvi Kulkarni participated in this year’s India Forum on China, focusing on the theme “The Intersection of Science and Technology in China’s Industrial Revolution and Challenges to India and the World”. She delivered a presentation on China’s nuclear build-up and its technological and geopolitical drivers.
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China’s Nuclear Weapons Build-up and Its Implications for Northeast Asian Security
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In this policy brief, Lami Kim argues that China’s nuclear modernisation should concern the United States less because it poses a nuclear threat to the US homeland, and more because it poses a risk to vital US interests in Northeast Asia. To manage these risks, Washington should seek to strengthen deterrence measures around the Taiwan Strait and give stronger assurances to its regional allies. Additionally, Washington and Beijing should enhance transparency as to their nuclear posture and missile testing, and also establish viable crisis management mechanisms.
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APLN has over 160 members from 22 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Each week we feature their latest contributions
to global and regional security debates.
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| APLN Senior Research Adviser Manpreet Sethi and Rabia Akhtar, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences at University of Lahore, co-published a paper, examining the impact of emerging technologies on nuclear deterrence in Southern Asia. They stressed that while emerging technologies will affect deterrence relations, they are not the sole factors influencing stability and must be considered alongside other factors that influence the overall equilibrium between states. |
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| Shen Dingli, Professor at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, suggested that China-US trade relations may not necessarily be gloomy during Trump’s second term. For example, Beijing and Washington could reasonably settle their fentanyl dispute and implement the Phase One China-US Economic and Trade Agreement collaboratively to avoid a new trade war. |
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| Melissa Parke, Executive Director of ICAN, wrote for Al Jazeera and emphasised the importance of world leaders listening to survivors of nuclear war, joining the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and supporting their efforts to persuade all nuclear states to relinquish their arsenals. |
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| Rajaram Panda, former Senior Fellow at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, wrote for Japan Forward and highlighted escalating US-China tensions over Taiwan, with Beijing imposing sanctions on US defense firms in response to arms sales supporting Taiwan’s self-defense. This creates regional geopolitical challenges for countries that need to balance their ties with superpowers. |
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| Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India, was interviewed by The Wire, where he commented that the need for cooperation in South Asia is compelling, noting the importance of overcoming political and psychological barriers. And the onus for fostering collaboration in the region rests on India. |
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