China and India’s remarkable economic growth over the past two decades has been accompanied by a corresponding surge in energy consumption. Both countries are pursuing ambitious nuclear and hydrocarbon programs, with domestic, regional, and global implications.

Ever since China severed defense exchanges with the United States in January 2010 to protest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the future of China-U.S. security relations has assumed heightened importance.

The recent U.S. focus on global nuclear issues has left some of China’s future arms control experts encouraged by the emphasis on governmental cooperation in securing nuclear materials, while others worry that the United States is blurring the distinction between tactical and strategic missile defenses.