US-China Strategic Nuclear Dialogues
Abstract
The “US-China Strategic Dialogues” will continue the DTRA-sponsored Track-1.5 Strategic Dialogue sessions between US and Chinese military and civilian officials and non-governmental experts and scholars. They build on over a decade of success in hosting these meetings, benefiting from the community-building, shared understanding, and mutual confidence that this has generated. The purpose of the Dialogue sessions, which will take place in Beijing in summer 2018 and Honolulu in early 2019, is to build greater understanding between the United States and China on nuclear issues and strategic stability to prevent miscalculation and strategic confusion, while preparing for and supporting more robust official Track-1 dialogue on these issues. These sessions will correct misperceptions, test assumptions, and stimulate new thinking, while seeking to build mutual trust and confidence. This is timely given that our latest dialogue sessions have revealed (in Beijing in June 2016 and Washington, DC in March 2017) that the US-China relationship is approaching an inflection point due to the shifting balance of power and concerns over how to maintain strategic stability in the context of China’s military modernization program and the impending modernization of the US nuclear deterrent. The arrival in office of the Trump administration is also raising the prospect of shifting policy to be communicated, notably the new Nuclear Posture Review Report. Also critical is for Washington to understand looming changes after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The Dialogues will explore differences in US and Chinese strategic thinking, reduce misperceptions, enhance mutual understanding of respective views on the role of strategic forces and how they will be employed and deployed, and help build a stronger relationship between the two countries and their respective strategic communities, with emphasis on urging the next-generation scholars to challenge current thinking.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 17, 2018
- Source ID
- FA70001810004
Entities
People
- David Santoro
Organizations
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- United States Air Force Academy