Comments on: The DPRK wants a new venue, a new game http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/08/28/the-dprk-wants-a-new-venue-a-new-game/ Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:50:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Lincoln Funghttp://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/08/28/the-dprk-wants-a-new-venue-a-new-game/comment-page-1/#comment-54574 Lincoln Fung Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:25:49 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=6705#comment-54574 The two issues, namely, the reduction in the number of nuclear weapons and the prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation, should go hand by hand. But the latter should be effectively enforced, so there is no escalation in the number of nuclear weapons, or an increase in new nuclear weapons. In this regard, it is important for the international community to denuclearise the Korea peninsular. The current state of play does not have any effective means in controlling proliferation and that is dangerous and a pity. The two issues, namely, the reduction in the number of nuclear weapons and the prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation, should go hand by hand.
But the latter should be effectively enforced, so there is no escalation in the number of nuclear weapons, or an increase in new nuclear weapons. In this regard, it is important for the international community to denuclearise the Korea peninsular.
The current state of play does not have any effective means in controlling proliferation and that is dangerous and a pity.

]]> By: Leonid Petrovhttp://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/08/28/the-dprk-wants-a-new-venue-a-new-game/comment-page-1/#comment-54222 Leonid Petrov Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:41:19 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=6705#comment-54222 There are more than 25,000 nuclear weapons in the world at this moment. In addition, more than 40 countries hold nearly 3,000 tons of nuclear materials that can yield 250,000 nuclear bombs. Climate conventions and environmental problems further foster public concern regarding nuclear power generation. It is predicted there will be more than 1,400 nuclear power plants globally by the year 2050. It is extremely difficult to control the aspirations of an individual state for nuclear weapons under the current worldwide trend of building new nuclear power plants. Nuclear deterrence theories during the Cold War era are now outdated. A national security strategy based on theories of nuclear deterrence has reached the limits of its effectiveness To create a nuclear free world, it is important to manifest a strong will to translate the eventual vision of world into action. With the cooperation of Russia, the United States should lead to reduce nuclear arsenal. The United States should reduce the number of nuclear warheads from the current 7,000 to 1,000 as a step prior to the eventual nuclear zero state. The era of nuclear weapons is definitely over. If an American doctrine of denuclearization gains momentum, negotiations with North Korea will take a whole new direction. This was ignited with a joint column by former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and former Senator Sam Nunn carried on the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 4, 2007, under the title "Nuclear Free World." There are more than 25,000 nuclear weapons in the world at this moment. In addition, more than 40 countries hold nearly 3,000 tons of nuclear materials that can yield 250,000 nuclear bombs. Climate conventions and environmental problems further foster public concern regarding nuclear power generation. It is predicted there will be more than 1,400 nuclear power plants globally by the year 2050.

It is extremely difficult to control the aspirations of an individual state for nuclear weapons under the current worldwide trend of building new nuclear power plants. Nuclear deterrence theories during the Cold War era are now outdated. A national security strategy based on theories of nuclear deterrence has reached the limits of its effectiveness

To create a nuclear free world, it is important to manifest a strong will to translate the eventual vision of world into action. With the cooperation of Russia, the United States should lead to reduce nuclear arsenal. The United States should reduce the number of nuclear warheads from the current 7,000 to 1,000 as a step prior to the eventual nuclear zero state. The era of nuclear weapons is definitely over. If an American doctrine of denuclearization gains momentum, negotiations with North Korea will take a whole new direction.

This was ignited with a joint column by former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and former Senator Sam Nunn carried on the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 4, 2007, under the title “Nuclear Free World.”

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