East Asia’s alliance dilemma: public perceptions of the competing risks of extended nuclear deterrence

Sukin, Lauren and Seo, Woohyeok (2024) East Asia’s alliance dilemma: public perceptions of the competing risks of extended nuclear deterrence. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7 (1). 91 - 114. ISSN 2575-1654

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Abstract

Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing security environment in East Asia, regional actors have seen a surge in “nuclear anxiety.” Worries among citizens of US allies and partners about rising nuclear threats and nuclear proliferation risks critically shape US foreign policy in East Asia. This paper thus asks: What drives nuclear anxiety in East Asia? And how can the United States most effectively resolve it? We situate nuclear anxiety in the dynamics of abandonment and entrapment that exist between allied states, as well as in the unique regional security structure, or the hub-and-spoke system in East Asia. To better understand the implications of nuclear anxiety on regional nuclear policy, we analyze the results of an original survey conducted in June 2023 across Washington’s five allies and partners in East Asia: Australia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The survey results suggest the presence of the dynamics of both nuclear entrapment and abandonment among these regional actors, as well as mixed interests in indigenous nuclear programs. In addition, we demonstrate how citizens of East Asia evaluate possible policy options that could help Washington mitigate regional nuclear anxiety.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rpnd20
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Author(s)
Divisions:	International Relations
Subjects:	J Political Science > JZ International relations
Date Deposited:	20 May 2024 14:21
Last Modified:	13 Aug 2024 02:57
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/123528

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