Description
New Century Publications India Pakistan China Nuclear Strategies Deterrence in a Trilateral Setting by Rajesh Kuniyil
After China tested a nuclear weapon in 1964, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was established in 1970 to prohibit other states from acquiring these destructive armaments. It was expected that China would be the last nuclear state in the world. However, in l974, India, a non-signatory to the NPT, detonated its peaceful nuclear device, alarming the international community.As a result, the nuclear states adopted a more cautious approach to supplying nuclear materials that could have dual use. The Indian nuclear test was a catalyst for the creation of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in 1975. While concerted efforts by the nuclear powers were underway to control the spread of nuclear weapons, India, Pakistan, and Israel were suspected of serious steps toward developing nuclear weapons in the 1970s and 1980s.In May 1998, India and Pakistan both came out of the closet and declared their nuclear status to the world by conducting underground nuclear tests. Thereafter, the nuclear triangle of China-India-Pakistan presents the only example of its kind in which three nuclear neighbours share disputed borders that have resulted in wars and continued violence and terrorism.Deterrence, as an element in national strategy or diplomacy, is certainly nothing new under the sun. It is an old practice in international politics and other areas of behaviour. However, it has received new significance with the development of the atomic bomb. Deterrence describes an ongoing interaction between two parties. In a deterrent relationship, one or both parties seek to persuade the other to refrain from dangerous actions by threatening that the costs of acting will far outweigh the benefits.The book is an attempt to examine the implications of the nuclear deterrence strategies of India, Pakistan and China in a fast changing security environment in South Asian region. The region is fast getting sucked into the vortex of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation.