The Trilateral Nuclear Dynamics in South Asia

When addressing nuclear issues in South Asia, most scholars focus solely on India and Pakistan. Although we should acquiesce that the problematic diplomatic ties between Islamabad and New Delhi includes a nuclear dimension, facts demonstrate that China has a paramount role in the regional nuclear dynamics. In order to understand these dynamics, the article analyses the historical background of the nuclear weapons programs and the strategic imperatives which underlined their origins. Subsequently it shows how they influence each other, constituting a trilateral nuclear dynamic with risks to the regional stability brought under an “action-reaction” cycle.