Current Issue
Vol.69 No. 1
March, 2026
Reshaping Power under Strategic Ambiguity: China’s Expanding Nuclear Deterrence and Regional Security Landscape
Tsung-han Wu ; Wen-chung Chai
The rapid expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal is triggering uncertainty in the regional security landscape. China’s lack of transparency, coupled with its ambiguous strategic policies and refusal to participate in arms control agreements, makes it difficult for the international community to understand the intension and implications of its nuclear development. This study examines China’s nuclear deterrence capabilities through three analytical lenses—communication, capability, and credibility. It reveals an increased Chinese nuclear deterrent compared to the past. However, the analysis identifies a notable discrepancy between Beijing’s stated defensive nuclear policy and the international perception of its rapidly growing nuclear capabilities. Under its strategic ambiguity posture, China’s sustained expansion of its nuclear arsenal, the development of a nuclear triad, and initiatives aimed at enhancing the mobility and survivability of its nuclear forces have raised growing international concerns about its true strategic intentions.
These actions increase strategic ambiguity and raise concerns about China’s long-term intentions. Driven by ambitions of becoming a “strong military” and achieving the “China Dream,” and fueled by growing strategic competition with the United States, China’s nuclear modernization is likely to continue. This has significant implications for regional security and global strategic stability that require close monitoring.
Keywords:PLA, Nuclear Deterrence, Nuclear Modernization, Strategic Ambiguity, Regional Security
Analysis of China’s Shifting Stance During the Process of the 2018 U.S.-China Trade War Negotiations
Ya-ling Lin ; Ciao-lin Deng
Since August 2017, when former US President Donald Trump initiated an investigation under Section 301 of the US Trade Act into whether China infringed American intellectual property rights, Sino-US trade tensions have steadily escalated. By examining the official Chinese statements, it could be observed that the Chinese government’s negotiating stance has not been static throughout the Sino-US trade negotiations. At times, China has adopted a reactive approach to US demands, while on other occasions it has taken a firm position during trade truces and the resumption of talks. As shifts in negotiating positions may influence the final outcome, this study aims to examine the factors driving changes in the Chinese government’s stance during US-China trade consultations. This paper analyses official documents, including speeches by Chinese state leaders, statements by trade negotiators and Ministry of Commerce spokespersons, routine press conferences, and press releases from 2017 to 2020 to identify key shifts in the Chinese government’s stance during trade negotiations. This paper reveals that the US-China trade conflict extends beyond bilateral economic issues and is fundamentally tied to the international status competition between these two major powers. When the dispute involves China’s high-tech and cutting-edge technological development, posing a threat to its capacity for independent scientific and technological innovation, China’s negotiating stance demonstrably hardens. This occurs because such developments directly jeopardize China’s ability to maintain its international leadership position.
Keywords:US-China Trade Tensions, US-China Technological Competition, Content Analysis, Negotiating Attitudes, Sentiment Analysis
Psychological Mechanism of Soft Propaganda: Incongruity Theory and Entertainmentization of Political Persuasion
Chia-tung Su ; Wen-hsuan Tsai
This study uses the theory of social psychology to analyze changes in the political persuasion strategies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in recent years, including the effects of such changes, and mainly focuses on the soft propaganda of homophonic puns. From the perspective of incongruity theory, this type of propaganda method may elicit humor among audiences, thereby strengthening their affinity for the policies of the CCP. Thus, this study conducts in-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys. However, the results seem to be only partially consistent with the expectations of incongruity theory. In this regard, we proposed the “perception-cognition” psychological process framework to explain this phenomenon. Through this framework, we believed that many audiences already had an impression of the official announcement, which displayed aggressive humor and produced an immediate psychological defense mechanism. Through the research in this article, we hope to further combine Chinese studies with other disciplines, such as psychology and communication, to propose further innovative viewpoints and analyze the effectiveness of policy implementation in the field of propaganda.
Keywords:Defense Mechanism, Incongruity Theory, Entertainmentization, Political Persuasion, Homophonic Pun
A Reassessment of the Relationship Between Mao and Peng Book Review: Chung, Yen-lin (2024). Peng Zhen: Mao’s “close comrade-in-arms” (1941~1966). Linking.
Jia-jun Mai