China’s Expanding Nuclear Capabilities: A Conversation with David Logan and Phil Saunders

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by David Logan and Phil Saunders, who’ve recently co-authored a new report titled Discerning the Drivers of China’s Nuclear Force Development: Models, Indicators, and Data. They lay out the six models developed in the report and explain which models are the most compelling for explaining China’s behavior. Dr. Logan dives into the expansion in size, structure, and capabilities of China’s nuclear stockpile in the last 10 years but highlights the fact that there has been no official announcement on China’s reasoning for this build-up. In the context of this expansion, Dr. Saunders points out that China is showing signs that its nuclear strategy could be shifting, and he notes that the prospects of strategic arms control have become more complicated.

China’s Power: Up for Debate 2022: Debate 2

This special episode of the ChinaPower Podcast is the second of two featuring the audio from the China Power Project’s seventh annual conference. This debate took place on November 17, 2022 and featured two experts debating the following proposition: “Beijing views a strong China-Russia relationship as a net strategic asset.”