Preprint Articles

Abstract: Exploring both the enhancement of bilateral strategic partnership and diplomatic tensions between China and Iran, this article argues that in the Xi Jinping era Iran has unique strategic value for China in terms of Chinese global-level strategy; but the China-Iran relationship is increasingly facing severe restraints as China, through the BRI, deepens its engagement in the region. China’s global-level strategy and regional-level political agenda in the Middle East are a mismatch that has caused severe tensions in China-Iran bilateral relations since 2022 and deeply harmed Iran’s strategic trust toward China. This mismatch is a result of the decoupling process between political and economic aspects of the BRI, and it is deeply rooted in the inherent self-contradiction of the BRI since the Chinese government has never clearly defined the nature of the BRI nor decided whether strategic agendas or economic revenues are the priority.

Abstract: The 2023 Washington Declaration strengthened the US-ROK alliance, thereby temporarily quelling public opinion favoring Seoul’s nuclear-arming. However, it has failed to reduce South Koreans’ doubts about the credibility of US security commitments over extended deterrence. The goal of this article is to examine whether US extended deterrence for South Korea is still effective in deterring North Korea’s growing nuclear threats. The central thesis of this article is that the United States should abandon its policy of extended deterrence for Seoul against a nuclear-capable North Korea and boldly explore a new strategy to keep stability and peace in Northeast Asia and maintain global nonproliferation regimes for the foreseeable future. The controlled and limited proliferation to South Korea seems to be a prime alternative, as it would allow the United States to minimize damages to both its policy of extended deterrence around the world and its objective of global nonproliferation.