ANASTASIA BARANNIKOVA NOVEMBER 7, 2022 I. INTRODUCTION In this essay, Anastasia Barannikova argues that although the situation in Ukraine does not affect Russia’s nuclear posture/strategy in Northeast Asia directly, direct impacts of the situation in Ukraine on Russia’s nuclear policies in this region cannot be ruled out. Examples of such indirect impacts include changes […]
PETER HAYES OCTOBER 30, 2022 INTRODUCTION Peter Hayes argues that “going nuclear will not help South Korea deal with the threat posed by its northern neighbor.” Peter Hayes is Director of the Nautilus Institute and Honorary Professor at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney, and Senior Research Advisor of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network. […]
PAUL K. DAVIS OCTOBER 27, 2022 I. INTRODUCTION In this Policy Forum essay, Paul Davis argues: “Anyone sensible worries that a first nuclear use might well lead to escalation and general nuclear war, but the adjective “inexorably” should no longer be included.” He concludes that the Ukraine war has made the range of nuclear-use cases […]
TONG ZHAO OCTOBER 13, 2022 I. INTRODUCTION In this Policy Forum essay, Tong Zhao argues that China fundamentally sees the Ukraine conflict as being caused by hegemonic behavior by the US-led West forcing Russia’s hand. China has been watching and learning from Russia’s implicit use of nuclear threat, and the lessons learned may add Tong […]
ALEXANDRE Y. MANSOUROV OCTOBER 7, 2022 I. INTRODUCTION In the Policy Forum essay that follows, Alexandre Mansourov argues that the lessons learned from the Ukraine conflict by DPRK leadership may make the DPRK more likely to conclude that having nuclear weapons capability will not necessarily translate to victory in a war on the Korean peninsula, […]
ROBERT AYSON SEPTEMBER 30 2022 INTRODUCTION In this essay, Robert Ayson argues that “Putin’s nuclear rhetoric is unlikely to disappear or become more reasonable. But what he decides to do with Russia’s nuclear arsenal matters more than what he chooses to say about it.” He concludes that “it’s time for Asia-Pacific powers–especially India and China–to […]
MICHAEL ROACH AUGUST 6 2022 I. INTRODUCTION In this essay, Michael Roach provides a remarkable account of multigenerational involvement in nuclear war, starting with a previously unpublished photo of the starboard nose of the Enola Gay bomber that delivered the first atomic bomb and returned to Tinian airfield, showing the inscription “First Atomic Bomb […]
PETER HAYES AND SHATABHISHA SHETTY MARCH 31 2022 I. INTRODUCTION In their introduction to the book WMD in Asia-Pacific, Peter Hayes and Shatabhisha Shetty highlight key findings in the 18 chapters, examine seven nuclear force traits or tradeoffs that come with nuclear armament and shape the identity of the nuclear weapon-possessors in this region and […]
NOBUYASU ABE MARCH 20 2022 I. INTRODUCTION In this essay, Nobuyasu Abe underscores the need to bridge the gap between the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons so that they can together push forward the twin goals of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Nobuyasu Abe is a former UN […]
JONATHAN FORMAN AND ALEXANDER KELLE MARCH 18 2022 I. INTRODUCTION In this essay, Jonathan Forman and Alexander Kelle visit some of the darkest episodes of past wars to remind us of the experimentation and use of chemical weapons in the Asia-Pacific region and the problem presented by modern chemical industry and innovation for maintaining the […]
