The Evolution of China’s Nuclear Strategy:From Anti-Nuclear Deterrence to Limited Deterrence

The current debate on China’s nuclear strategy centers on characterizing the country’s nuclear policy and its features vis-a-vis established models. This paper argues that in order to correctly understand China’s nuclear strategy, one needs to first extricate oneself from the shackles of existing systemic theories of nuclear strategy. Current efforts to locate China’s nuclear posture within largely Westernized theories of nuclear strategy have resulted in the lack of more in-depth understanding of China’s special case. China’s turn from its previous anti-nuclear deterrence strategy to its current limited deterrence strategy can only be appreciated when taking into account the historical contexts during which these strategies were formulated. In particular, the material and philosophical legacies borne out of of China’s long-time nuclear war readiness still have enormous bearings on China’s nuclear strategy. Chinese scholars should engage the mainstream discourses and contribute to the development of nuclear strategy as a discipline through careful examination of China’s example.