Chinese Thinking on Nuclear Weapons

Chinese thinking on nuclear weapons issues can be difficult to discern. What are Chinese views on the role of nuclear weapons? Is there a specific security paradigm through which Chinese thinkers understand nuclear policy? How does China make decisions about nuclear weapon development and operation, as well as nuclear arms control and nonproliferation? 

Carnegie hosted the second discussion in our series on Chinese nuclear thinking, where Pan Zhenqiang and Fan Jishe explained their research findings on these questions and more. Carnegie’s Li Bin moderated. 

Pan Zhenqiang

Pan Zhenqiang is the director of the Research Institute for Strategy and Management at the Central University of Finance and Economics in China, as well as an executive member of the council of the China Reform Forum.

Fan Jishe

Fan Jishe is the division director of strategic studies and deputy director of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Li Bin

Li Bin is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University.