Competitive Deterrence? The United States, China, and South Asia

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In The Media

Competitive Deterrence? The United States, China, and South Asia

The past, present, and future shape of nuclear competition among China, India, and Pakistan, specifically the development and posturing of nuclear weapons and related offensive and defensive military systems, is characterized by conflicting narratives. As U.S.-China strategic competition grows, what effects might it have on nuclear competition in Southern Asia?

By Toby Dalton

Published on Apr 26, 2021

US-China Nuclear Relations: The Impact of Strategic Triangles

About the Author

Toby Dalton

Senior Fellow and Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program

Toby Dalton is a senior fellow and co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment. An expert on nonproliferation and nuclear energy, his work addresses regional security challenges and the evolution of the global nuclear order.

Recent Work

Article
Promoting Responsible Nuclear Energy Conduct: An Agenda for International Cooperation
- Ariel (Eli) Levite, Toby Dalton
Research
A New Era of Nuclear-Powered Submarines Is Making Waves in Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones
- +5
  Toby Dalton, Jamie Kwong, Ryan A. Musto, …

Security Nuclear Policy

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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Competitive Deterrence? The United States, China, and South Asia

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Article

India’s Oil Security Strategy: Structural Vulnerabilities and Strategic Choices

This piece argues that the present Indian strategy, based on opportunistic diversification and utilization of limited strategic reserves, remains inadequate when confronting supply disruptions. It evaluates India’s options in the short, medium, and long terms.

Vrinda Sahai

Commentary

Emissary

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Its reinstatement should be celebrated, but it retains some major shortcomings.

Leonardo Martinez-Diaz

Article

Leveraging Internal Security Cooperation with Vietnam Offers a Glimpse of Future Chinese Diplomacy with Southeast Asia

Despite long-standing differences, China and Vietnam are reinforcing common ground for collaboration, especially in public security. This internal security–centered diplomacy offers a strengthened road map for how China moves forward with Southeast Asia.

Sophie Zhuang

A machine gun of a Houthi soldier mounted on a police vehicle next to a billboard depicting the U.S. president Donald Trump and Mohammed Bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, during a protest staged to show support to Iran against the U.S.-Israel war on March 27, 2026 in Sana'a, Yemen.

Collection

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As the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues, Carnegie scholars contribute cutting-edge analysis on the events of the war and their wide-reaching implications. From the impact on Iran and its immediate neighbors to the responses from Gulf states to fuel and fertilizer shortages caused by the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, the war is reshaping Middle East alliances and creating shockwaves around the world. Carnegie experts analyze it all.

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