Joseph Cirincione is Senior Fellow and Director for Nuclear Policy at Center for American Progress. The following is his written testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission at a hearing titled “China’s Proliferation and Impact of Trade Policy on Defense Industries in the United States and China.” From Center for American Progress website:
China is a recognized nuclear weapon state under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and possesses enough nuclear material for hundreds of nuclear weapons. China has approximately 200 nuclear weapons on various delivery platforms, mostly short- and medium-range missiles. Approximately 20 Chinese weapons are deployed on missiles that can reach the continental United States. Starting in the 1960s, China became a major supplier of sensitive nuclear and missile technology to the developing world.
The United States and other countries have worked to draw China step-by-step into the international nonproliferation regime. Over three decades, these efforts have achieved important progress. Technology transfer issues exist, but they are now a relatively minor aspect of the United States–China relationship, comparable to issues that we have with allied nations whose companies engage in nuclear black market sales. [Full Text]
