ZHOU Bo, a fellow at Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy and a China Forum expert, was recently interviewed by The Straits Times on nuclear security in East Asia amid the Russia-Ukraine war, and he was quoted by the newspaper in an opinion piece entitled “Nuclear lessons from the war in Ukraine” on March 28.

In response to questions about China’s nuclear stockpile, Zhou said that it is only a small fraction of that held by the US and Russia. China has been committed to a no-first-use nuclear policy since 1964 and to keeping its nuclear arsenal small but effective, in a dynamic way—its size depends on the development of potential adversaries, he added.

On North Korea’s missile launch on March 24, Zhou argued that the Russia-Ukraine war has dealt a major blow to Pyongyang and Washington’s efforts to restart denuclearization talks, as it reinforces the former’s belief in maintaining a credible nuclear deterrent.

The article concludes by quoting Bilahari Kausikan, a former Singaporean diplomat, as saying, “A six-way balance of mutually assured destruction—among the US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and North Korea—will eventually be established in East Asia. A multipolar nuclear balance is good for regional stability and for a healthier relationship between China and its neighbors.”

Read the article here:

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/powerplay-nuclear-lessons-from-the-war-in-ukraine