President's Message: Seeking China-U.S. Strategic Nuclear Stability

President's Message: Seeking China-U.S. Strategic Nuclear Stability
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There is a gap between American and Chinese perspectives on nuclear stability and strategy. The Chinese appear reluctant to use these weapons, but see the need for deterrence purposes. The United States is skeptical of China's policy of no-first-use (NFU), in which China would not launch nuclear weapons first against the United States or any state. The worry from Washington is that NFU cannot be demonstrated and the posture can quickly change, especially with recent modernizations to China's nuclear forces. By Charles D. Ferguson. http://fas.org/pir-pubs/seeking-china-u-s-strategic-nuclear-stability/