Conference: China's Nuclear Forces and Deterrence - Present and Future
What are the current trends in the build-up of China’s nuclear forces? Is China leaving its former nuclear strategy of minimum deterrence? And what are the implications for the balance of power with the U.S.? We will discuss these and more questions together with prominent international experts on deterrence and on China’s armed forces, People’s Liberation Army.
This conference - organised in collaboration with University of Copenhagen's Asian Dynamics Initiative - is the second comprehensive international conference on China's armed forces, People's Liberation Army, hosted by the Centre for Military Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen (UCPH).
The first part of the conference will examine Chinese deterrence policy, using a novel theory based upon ritual action by Postdoc Cameron Hunter (UCPH). In the second part, Senior Researcher Lora Saalman (SIPRI) will analyse Chinese nuclear deterrence as part of a broader multidimensional deterrence policy. This is followed by Director Hans Kristensen (Nuclear Information Project, Federation of American Scientists), who will examine the current and future Chinese nuclear forces in relation to the U.S. nuclear inventory. Finally, a panel including the previous speakers and Associate Professor Camilla Sørensen (Royal Danish Defence College) will debate til future of China's nuclear forces and deterrence.
Program
09:00–09:05: Welcome by Senior Researcher Kristian Søby Kristensen, Director Centre for Military Studies
09:05–09:15: Introduction by Professor Emeritus Bertel Heurlin, Centre for Military Studies
09:15-10:30: “Deterrence theory and the US-China Nuclear Practice” by Postdoc Cameron Hunter, Department of Political Science, UCPH, followed by discussant and Q&A
10:30-10:45: Coffee Break
10:45-12.00: “Multidomain deterrence and China” by Senior Researcher Lora Saalman, SIPRI, followed by discussant and Q&A
12:00-13:00: Lunch
13:00-14:15: “Comparing Chinese and U.S. nuclear forces” by Director Hans Kristensen, Nuclear Information Project, American Federation of American Scientists, followed by discussant and Q&A
14:15-14:30: Coffee Break
14:30-15:30: Panel Debate: “The future of China's nuclear forces and deterrence” with Cameron Hunter, Lora Saalman, Hans Christensen and Associate Professor Camilla Sørensen, Royal Danish Defense College. Moderator: Professor Maria Mälksoo, Department of Political Science, UCPH
15:30: Concluding remarks by Bertel Heurlin.
Date and time: Friday, November 22 at 09:00-15:30
Place: Auditorium 4A-0-69, ground floor, South Campus, Njalsgade 76, DK-2300 Copenhagen S
Register for the conference here no later than November 20. [REGISTRATION IS CLOSED]
Invitation
