The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Although most nuclear security commentators are focused on Iran and nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, an accelerated three-way rivalry in the production of nuclear explosive plutonium is in the making in East Asia between Japan, China, and, South Korea.
Join MTA to learn more about what this portends and what might be yet done to head it off from former Department of Defense Deputy for Nonproliferation Policy Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. The Belfer Center's Will Tobey will moderate this seminar.
Both Tobey and Sokolski will have just returned from a series of discussions on these issues with senior Chinese and Japanese officials in Beijing and Tokyo.
This event is open to the public. Coffee and tea provided.