Counterproliferation Bargaining with the United States: China and the Spread of Nuclear Weapons. Issue 3 (2nd September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hiim, Henrik Stålhane
• Is Part Of: Asian security. Volume 14:Issue 3(2018)
• Page Start: 303
• Page End: 317
• Publication Date: 2018-09-02
• Subjects: Asia -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Asia -- Foreign relations -- Periodicals; Asia -- Military policy -- Periodicals; 355.03305
• DOI: 10.1080/14799855.2017.1351951
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1479-9855

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article analyzes China's use of issue-linkage strategies in its approach to nuclear proliferation. It highlights that China has used its ties to nuclear proliferators as a bargaining chip vis-a-vis the United States. The United States is dependent on Chinese cooperation to secure nonproliferation objectives such as a non-nuclear Iran, and China has used this dependency to extract side-payments for its cooperation. Moreover, Beijing has used non-cooperation on nuclear proliferation as retaliation when the US has hurt its interests in unrelated policy areas, such as through arms sales to Taiwan. In contrast with past studies, the article claims that China's approach to nonproliferation remains partly transactional to this day.