THE new People’s Republic of China’s White Paper titled: “China’s Arms Control, Disarmament and Nonproliferation in the New Era” is a comprehensive and inclusive document that outlines the country’s contemporary nuclear doctrine and its explicit intention to avoid a nuclear arms race, while not ignoring the needs of modern multidomain warfare and firmly pursuing its policy aims to compete with the United States and its allies across multiple domains.

This transparency seeks to foster trust among policy analysts and international relations scholars by demonstrating China’s openness about its strategic intentions, thereby mitigating the risk of nuclear war.

The timing of the White Paper’s release is critical given the rapid transformation in international relations. The rising likelihood of state-on-state wars with built-in nuclear risks and the revolutionary impact of emerging technologies in the military domain have compelled traditional security-conscious states to streamline their war machines. The nuclear analysts have been debating the ramifications of restarting nuclear testing, entailing a new wave of nuclear arms race, after President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was ordering the US military to resume nuclear testing due to China, Russia, North Korea and Pakistan’s clandestine nuclear tests.

President Trump cited these states to justify his drive towards nuclear tests, which he has been harbouring since his previous administration. Jeffrey Lewis, a credible nuclear analyst, wrote in July 2024 that people close to President Trump, including those who could serve in a second........

© Pakistan Observer