The PRC`s Policies Toward Nonproliferation Regimes

Abstract

This paper examines the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) policies toward nonproliferation regimes, focusing on the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).\nThe author finds that China holds a positive attitude toward the NPT and the CTBT evidenced by China’s public discourse about these treaties and its eventual signing of them. In contrast, China feels moderately negative about the MTCR. This paper also confirms that China’s cooperation in nonproliferation has been based on the broader context of its relations with the United States. Finally, this paper suggests that frequent contact between the United States and China will be useful for communicating the importance of nonproliferation in bilateral relations. Chinese bureaucrats at all levels need to understand that they should be held accountable for nonproliferation behavior and that reckless exports can threaten Chinese, U.S., and world security.