CIAO DATE: 06/2012
March 2009
James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
The past several years have witnessed a major revival of interest in nuclear disarmament in the United States. However, Chinese and Russian policy makers have been circumspect in their public commentary on the subject. Moreover, Beijing and Moscow are both currently reassessing their nuclear policies and postures. The decisions they make will affect their negotiating positions for years to come; therefore, now is the time to engage both countries in discussions about deep nuclear reductions that could ultimately lead to the elimination of their arsenals. Such actions will contribute to reaching "nuclear zero." With an eye to engaging Beijing and Moscow in a serious dialogue about practical steps along "the road to zero," the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), with the support of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, embarked on a project to analyze the prevailing perspectives, bureaucratic players, and politics related to nuclear disarmament in China and Russia. In addition, the project sought to develop recommendations on how to build support for desired policy changes in Beijing and Moscow. The essays in this Occasional Paper represent the findings from the first stage of the project: the examination of thinking on strategic policy, nuclear postures, and prospects for disarmament in Beijing and Moscow.
Resource link: Engaging China and Russia on Nuclear Disarmament [PDF] - 1.4M