When there is anarchy in the international political system, uncertainty and fear can seep into the relations between states, leading to a spiral of power, competition, and even war. This anxiety forces some states to modernize their military forces and increases security risks for other states. In addition to international competition, regional power dynamics force states to modernize their militaries to maintain regional balances of power and state security. One of the most precarious regions in the world in this respect is South Asia, where three nuclear powers, China, India, and Pakistan, reside border to border. Chinese economic and military power is a source of strategic convergence for India, the USA’s most significant deliberate partner. Strategic competition between excessive regional powers creates a strategic dilemma for small states in South Asia, such as Pakistan. The geographical contiguity between India and Pakistan makes the region a nuclear flashpoint. To ensure the state’s survival, above and beyond nuclear weapons, Pakistan cannot contest India’s conventional military superiority. The hypothesis of this study is that Pakistan can assure its security by maintaining credible nuclear deterrence instead of trusting in diplomacy or traditional military power alone. This study explores how minimal credible deterrence has historically played a role in ensuring security and strategic stability in bilateral relations between South Asia’s nuclear powers. Keen and close observation of further Indian military modernization and doctrinal transformation is essential if Pakistan is to establish a comprehensive strategy for national security.
목차
ABSTRACT Ⅰ. Introduction Ⅱ. Theoretical framework 1. Nuclear threats and perceptions 2. Non-weaponized deterrence: 1986–1998 3. The nuclear flash point: Kashmir 4. The Brasstacks Crisis of 1986 5. Credible deterrence after conducting nuclear tests in 1998 6. The Kargil Crisis of 1999 7. Terrorism in India and the aftershock 8. Water crises and nuclear deterrence 9. A decades-long Pakistani fear: Preemptive strikes 10. India’s Cold Start Doctrine 11. Surgical strikes: Pulwama to Balakot 12. The nuclear doctrines of Pakistan and India Ⅲ. Conclusion References
'KU 중국연구원'은 건국대학교만의 차별화된 가치를 구현하기 위해 건국대의 교시(校是)인 성(誠)·신(信)·의(義)를 바탕으로 인본(人本)·소통(疏通)·통섭(統攝)에 초점을 둔 중국학 연구를 지향하고 있습니다. 또한 시대적 당위성을 반영한 실용 중심의 연구와 학문 후속세대 양성에 기여하는 국제적 연구센터로 발돋음하는 연구기관 입니다.