Year
2005
Abstract
The balance of persuasion in global affairs that at one time was dominated by Western nations now has a strong Chinese voice that demands to share the podium with the West. China’s rapid economic development has resulted in a spiraling need for raw materials and, most pressingly, for energy resources. China’s global acquisition of resources has far greater repercussions than impacting global supply of oil or price of steel. The quest for energy security and raw materials has prompted the Chinese government to build political and economic ties with nations in the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Africa, often propelling Beijing into agreements with countries of concern or strategic importance to the United States. China’s energy insecurity coupled with aspirations for technological leadership have also compelled Beijing to pursue an aggressive strategy for its civilian nuclear sector. No longer can one regard China as merely a lucrative nuclear industry market. The country that has once relied on re-engineering, espionage and foreign assistance to acquire nuclear know-how has embarked on the strategy of indigenous development of nuclear technology. China still requires foreign assistance in many areas of its nuclear industry, but it is no longer intent on limiting itself to being a nuclear market for foreign investors and suppliers. In pursuing a strategy of ‘localization,’ China seeks to become a significant technological leader and supplier of nuclear commodities in the region and globally. Underlying these burgeoning relationships with both developing and industrialized nations has been China’s growing activism in the multilateral organizations and forums. From World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to the Six Party Talks, China is leveraging its participation to promote China’s political, economic, and security agenda. What exactly does this means for U.S. nonproliferation policy? How will China’s growing nuclear industry and its plans for exports affect nonproliferation in the region and globally? Will China choose a leadership role in nonproliferation, or will its ambitions for influence and to increase exports trump its nonproliferation responsibilities? How can the United States make use of China’s aspirations for nuclear leadership and global influence to advance U.S. nonproliferation objectives? This paper examines Chinese aspirations for global and technological leadership, their impact on U.S. nonproliferation policy, and the path forward for Sino- U.S. nonproliferation engagement.