U.S. Puts New Restrictions on Nuclear Technology Exports to China
David Sanger | New York Times
The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would sharply restrict exports of civilian nuclear technology to China that officials claimed was being diverted to power new generations of Chinese submarines, aircraft carriers and floating nuclear power plants. The announcement mixed security warnings with longstanding complaints that Beijing was continuing to steal nuclear-related technology from American firms to benefit Chinese state-owned companies.
South Korea’s Moon Optimistic About End to Korean War
BBC News
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has told the BBC that it is only a matter of time before the U.S. and North Korea declare an end to their state of war on the Korean peninsula. Mr Moon, the son of North Korean refugees, also said there could be more diplomatic "bumps and bruises" as he tries to persuade Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear weapons. In an interview with the BBC's Laura Bicker in Seoul, he also said he hoped European leaders would help him to mediate between Mr Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump if negotiations stalled.
In First, China Confirms ‘New Long-Range Strategic Bomber’ Designation
Mike Yeo | Defense News
China’s official state-run media has confirmed the designation of the country’s newest long-range strategic bomber, with analysts speculating that the prototype is expected to make its first flight soon. In a documentary reportedly broadcast in August, China Central Television referred to the “Hong-20” as the “new long-range strategic bomber” under development for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, or PLAAF, confirming for the first time the H-20 designation that has previously been used elsewhere to describe the program.
Russia Hits a Snag in Developing a Hypersonic Weapon – After Putin Said it was Already in Production
Amanda Macias | CNBC
Russia is currently unable to find a source for the critical carbon fiber components needed to make one of its hypersonic weapons, despite President Vladimir Putin's claims that the device has already entered serial production, according to people with direct knowledge of a U.S. intelligence report.
Iran Says its Land-To-Sea Ballistic Missile Range Now 700 Kilometers
Times of Israel
A senior Iranian official said Tuesday that the range of the country’s land-to-sea ballistic missile has been increased to 700 kilometers (435 miles), the Reuters news agency reported. “We have managed to make land-to-sea ballistic, not cruise, missiles that can hit any vessel or ship from 700 kilometers,” Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ airspace division, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.
Do Nuclear Weapons Matter
Foreign Affairs
It is obvious that nuclear weapons are incredibly important. Vast sums are spent on them, concerns about their spread—most recently, to North Korea and Iran—dominate headlines, and they could blow up the world in a flash. And yet. They haven’t been used since World War II. They are purchased, deployed, and discussed on separate tracks from the rest of the foreign policy agenda, and they are largely ignored by nonspecialists, with little apparent consequence. In fact, nearly three-quarters of a century into the atomic age, it is sobering to consider how little we really know. Do nuclear weapons truly matter, and if so, how and why? Should we worry about them more or less? As the “whiz kids” working under U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara famously asked, how much is enough?