This policy brief was originally published on Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).
Engaging China on multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation has become more urgent, but also more difficult. This new policy brief by ELN Policy & Research Director Oliver Meier and Michael Staack calls for call for targeted multilateralism – focused, substantive, and flexible dialogues between Europeans and Chinese on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.
Summary
Even in times of increased competition between China, Russia, and the United States, Europeans have agency when it comes to arms control, disarmament and non proliferation. Europeans will need to up their level of ambition in pursuing their own interests in making multilateral instruments more resilient.
China as a nuclear weapon state and as a permanent member of the UN Security Council bears a special responsibility to uphold the international order, including in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. China will need to begin closing the gap between its stated ambitions to support multilateralism with its often overly passive policies.
The economic competition between the West and China is casting a long shadow over attempts by Europe and China to engage on ADN. To the degree possible, both sides should try to separate economic and security issues.
Europeans should adopt a nuanced approach toward transparency vis-à-vis China, engaging China in discussions about the generic value of openness for crisis and arms race stability. China for its part should be open to calls by Europeans and other states to explain the rationale for its nuclear policies above.
Europe and China should explore options to strengthen the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), including by discussing technical options to improve international trust and confidence that activities at nuclear test sites are peaceful
China and Germany share concerns around the dangers resulting from weaponisation of peaceful nuclear facilities in conflict zones. They could take joint initiatives to better protect nuclear facilities in zones of conflict and war.
Berlin and Beijing want to avoid escalation of regional proliferation crises, including in Iran and North Korea, and could cooperate more closely in trying to find diplomatic solutions to such problems.
It is in Germany’s and Europe’s interest to draw Beijing closer to humanitarian arms control, and recent violations of International Humanitarian Law may provide opportunities to engage China.
Read the policy brief
The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated in this policy brief represent the views of the author rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.
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