China's Assertive Nuclear Posture: State Security in an Anarchic International Order

ISBN-13: 9781138102125 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017

Baohui Zhang

Opis

China’s nuclear capability is crucial for the balance of power in East Asia and the world. As this book reveals, there have been important changes recently in China’s nuclear posture: the movement from a minimum deterrence posture toward a medium nuclear power posture; the pursuit of space warfare and missile defence capabilities; and, most significantly, the omission in the 2013 Defence White Paper of any reference to the principle of No First Use. Employing the insights of structural realism, this book argues that the imperatives of an anarchic international order have been the central drivers of China’s nuclear assertiveness. The book also assesses the likely impact of China’s emerging nuclear posture on its neighbours and on the international strategic balance, especially with the United States. The book concludes by examining China’s future nuclear directions in the context of its apparent shift toward a more offensive-oriented international strategy.

Spis treści

Introduction  1. Analyzing China's Nuclear Posture  2. China’s Nuclear Forces and Doctrines  3. Balance of Power and China’s Expanding Offensive Nuclear Capabilities  4. Balance of Power and New Dimensions of China’s Nuclear Posture  5. Balance of Threat and China’s Changing Nuclear Doctrines  6. China’s Assertive Nuclear Posture and the Security of East Asia  Conclusion

O autorze

Baohui Zhang is Director, Centre for Asian Pacific Studies, and Professor of Political Science, at Lingnan University, Hong Kong