ABSTRACT
China’s nonproliferation policies have undergone significant changes since the 1990s. A clear indication of these changes is reflected in Beijing’s accession to major international arms control and nonproliferation treaties, bilateral nonproliferation commitments given to the United States pledging adherence to the guidelines of the Missile Technology Con trol Regime (MTCR), and new domestic regulations governing exports of nuclear, chemi cal, and dual-use materials and technologies. During the 1990s, China acceded to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), signed and ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). In short, there was a significant transformation of China’s perspectives and policy, changing from accusation and suspicion in the 1970s and 1980s to more active participation and guarded endorsement of the international norms in arms control, disarmament, and non proliferation in the 1990s. These developments have been prompted by Beijing’s growing recognition of proliferation threats, an acute concern over its international image, its as sessment of how progress in nonproliferation could promote better Sino-U.S. bilateral relations, and by U.S. nonproliferation initiatives aimed at influencing Chinese behavior.
