Advancing China's Nuclear Security

Article Highlights

• Lack of transparency surrounds security arrangements for the facilities and weapons-usable fissile materials in China's nuclear weapons sector. Available information paints an encouraging picture, but room for improvement remains.
• China could enhance its nuclear security by updating its threat assessments, performing realistic tests of vulnerabilities at facilities, and building a stronger security culture.
• Beijing's recent cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the US government has paid significant dividends in improving security. More cooperation might yield yet greater dividends.

China, like all nuclear weapon states, bears a responsibility to provide leadership in nuclear security issues. But China's strategy for securing its nuclear weapons -- and the complex of facilities where fissile material for weapons is fabricated and stored -- has so far remained largely opaque.

What we do know about Chinese nuclear security is encouraging. As in all nations, however, room for improvement surely exists. At the 2012 nuclear security summit in Seoul, Chinese President Hu Jintao said, "In the future, China will [take further] nuclear security measures, make sure [of] the security of its own nuclear materials and facilities, [and] improve … overall nuclear security." But converting Hu's political commitment into practical, sustainable reality will require China to assess its nuclear sector's vulnerabilities along several dimensions, ranging from regulatory arrangements to physical infrastructure to the nation's security culture. Once vulnerabilities have been accurately assessed, the path will be clear to minimize China's nuclear security threats.

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