Strategic Assessment

Along with its rapid rise in global stature, China has become a key actor in the global nonproliferation regime. Striving to present an image of a responsible superpower, Beijing has largely sought to keep rogue states from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. However, when it comes to denuclearizing regimes that have already reached nuclear capacity, China has proved to be a relatively unreliable enforcer of the international sanctions regime. How does China provide hedging space for Iran and North Korea, and which key factors affect Beijing’s calculations? This essay contends that China is motivated primarily by threats to its own economic interests and the risk of military confrontation.