Jyh-Shyang Sheu

May 22, 2024 | nbr.org | Lavina Lee |Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan |Wakana Mukai |Jyh-Shyang Sheu

Introduction: Meeting the Challenge of China’s WMD Buildup Bates Gill Stating that the People’s Republic of China (PRC, or China) is “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge” and “most consequential strategic competitor for the coming decades,” the 2022 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) and U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) made clear that deterring aggression by the PRC is a vital interest of the United States.[1] According to the NDS, China seeks to “refashion the...

May 22, 2024 | nbr.org | Jyh-Shyang Sheu

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYMAIN ARGUMENTWhile the Taiwanese military is mainly focused on defending Taiwan against a conventional attack from the PRC, the PRC’s potential use of a nuclear weapon or other WMD should be seriously considered. Since Xi Jinping came to power, nuclear and WMD capabilities have become a greater part of the PRC’s military reforms.