China’s nuclear ballistic missile submarine program is making rapid progress and is on the verge of providing Beijing with a credible sea-based deterrent. Its implications could be far reaching. What does this emerging capability indicate about China’s overall nuclear strategy? What implications will it have for the escalating strategic competition—at both the conventional and nuclear levels—between the United States and China? How will it affect the risk of escalation in a crisis? And, what can be done to mitigate the risks? Tong Zhao explored these questions, drawing on his new report. James Acton moderated the discussion. Copies of the report Tides of Change: China’s Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines and Strategic Stability are available here.
Tong Zhao
Tong Zhao is a fellow in Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program based at the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing.
James Acton
James Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
