Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy
Chinese experts are increasingly using the term “strategic stability” to refer to a bilateral nuclear relationship of mutual vulnerability. Maintaining such a mutually vulnerable relationship with other major nuclear powers, especially the U.S., is of ultimate importance for Chinese decisionmakers.
While the U.S. argues that its deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea is necessary to counter the nuclear threat from North Korea, Chinese experts worry that U.S. missile defense assets in the region could undermine China’s strategic nuclear deterrent capability.
Paul Haenle sat down with Ambassador Chris Hill to analyze the objectives of the United States, North Korea, China, South Korea, and other regional players heading into the Singapore summit, providing insights into the potential successes and pitfalls of the meeting.
Whatever the outcome, the June 12 Trump-Kim summit will have major implications for the region’s security landscape.
Since President Trump accepted an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, he has raised expectations that North Korea might finally be willing to abandon its nuclear arsenal.
Kim Jong-un became the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea at the Panmunjom Summit in April 2018, setting the stage for President Trump’s meeting with Kim in June, which China will be watching closely.
China made clear through Kim’s visit that it will not be sidelined in important conversations and developments on the future of the Korean Peninsula. Now, Xi has had the opportunity to influence the terms of any future agreement.
The chance of military conflict on the Korean Peninsula remains very high and there is no clear path to resolution of the situation.
Paul Haenle sat down with Jia Qingguo, to discuss recent shifts in regional geopolitics, debates around Chinese leverage over North Korea, and developments that could lead to greater U.S.-China cooperation to resolve the issue.
The draft Nuclear Posture Review of the Donald Trump administration presents Washington's intention to use US nuclear weapons as a hegemonic tool again.
Stay connected to the Global Think Tank with Carnegie's smartphone app for Android and iOS devices