Asia’s Latent Nuclear Powers: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

Asia’s Latent Nuclear Powers: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan (Adelphi Book 455)

Under what conditions would the democracies in Northeast Asia seek to join the nuclear weapons club? Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are threshold nuclear powers by virtue of their robust civilian nuclear-energy programmes. All three once pursued nuclear weapons and all face nuclear-armed adversaries. Fitzpatrickâ€™s latest book analyses these past nuclear pursuits and current proliferation drivers. It considers how long it would take each to build a nuclear weapon if such a fateful decision were made but does not predict such a scenario. Unlike when each previously went down a nuclear path, democracy and a free press now prevail as barriers to building bombs in the basement. Reliance on US defence commitments is a better security alternative â€“ as long as such guarantees remain credible. But extended deterrence is not a barrier to proliferation of sensitive nuclear technologies. Nuclear hedging by its Northeast Asian partners will challenge Washingtonâ€™s nuclear diplomacy.
Country USA
Manufacturer The International Institute for Strategic Studies
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2016-02-09
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	The International Institute for Strategic Studies
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2016-02-09
Format	Kindle eBook

Asia’s Latent Nuclear Powers: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan (Adelphi Book 455)