Video
Asia & Indo-Pacific
South Asia Program

Tong Zhao: China in Nuclear Southern Asia

Tong Zhao joins Stimson senior fellow Daniel Markey for a conversation unpacking China’s nuclear modernization effort

By  Tong Zhao Guest  •  Daniel Markey Host

South Asia

Tong Zhao, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins Stimson senior fellow Daniel Markey for a conversation unpacking China’s nuclear modernization efforts and launch on warning capabilities, regional nuclear forces in the China-India dyad, China-Pakistan military cooperation during the May crisis, and Beijing’s perceptions of South Asia security.

Outline

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 1:02 Roadmap
  • 1:48 Chinese Nuclear Modernization Efforts
  • 7:42 China’s Motivations for Nuclear Buildup
  • 10:16 Open-Source Research on Chinese Nuclear Forces
  • 12:50 Low-Yield Chinese Warheads and Escalation Management
  • 19:23 China’s Suspicions of Arms Control and Nuclear Learning Process
  • 27:03 Shift to Launch on Warning Posture?
  • 30:52 China-India Nuclear Relationship
  • 34:02 How Chinese Strategists View India’s Strategic Capabilities
  • 36:33 China’s Role and Intentions in the May Crisis
  • 45:39 Reactions to the Pakistan-Saudi Defense Pact

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