Why Iran strikes may drive Asian nuclear race, hit China in the Middle East: Zhao Tong

AI Summary

Senior fellow Zhao Tong of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argues that US-Israel strikes on Iran could trigger an Asian nuclear arms race, with ripple effects for China's strategic position in the Middle East. The analysis explores how Iran's nuclear situation may embolden other regional actors to pursue similar capabilities. The piece raises significant concerns about nuclear proliferation and regional security stability.

Zhao Tong is a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Programme at Washington-based think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and its East Asia-based research centre on contemporary China, Carnegie China. His research focuses on strategic security issues, including nuclear weapons policy, deterrence, arms control, non-proliferation, missile defence, hypersonic weapons, regional security in the Asia-Pacific, and China’s security and foreign policy. This interview first appeared in...