Podcast
Extended Nuclear Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific
In this episode of Asia Insight, Zack Cooper, Bee Yun Jo, and Lavina Lee discuss the sustainability of U.S. extended deterrence and nuclear restraint in Australia, Japan, and South Korea in light of three trends: the evolution of the Indo-Pacific geopolitical landscape, recurring questions about U.S. alliance commitments, and domestic political debates on nuclear armament. The discussion draws on an NBR research project on which Cooper served as principal investigator.
Zack Cooper is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Bee Yun Jo is a Research Fellow in the Center for Security Strategy at the Sejong Institute in South Korea.
Lavina Lee is Director of the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney in Australia.
Timestamps
[1:19] Introduction to the Extended Nuclear Deterrence Project
[3:03] What is the current debate in South Korea regarding the reliability of U.S. extended deterrence?
[7:00] What is the role of extended nuclear deterrence in Australian debates?
[10:40] Differences in discourse between Australia, Japan, and South Korea
[14:42] Exploring the possibility of a quadrilateral extended deterrence dialogue: Australia
[18:09] Exploring the possibility of a quadrilateral extended deterrence dialogue: South Korea
[20:43] Thoughts from Japan and Europe on bilateral versus quadrilateral arrangements with the United States
[23:40] Where is the current political debate in Seoul and Canberra when it comes to meeting U.S. demands for increased defense spending, and how worried are leaders about the possibility of weakened extended deterrence commitments if defense spending levels are not increased?
About Asia Insight
The NBR podcast series Asia Insight features interviews with top Asia experts about key issues affecting the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on implications for U.S. policy and businesses. Subscribe to Asia Insight on Podbean and Apple Podcasts and let us know what you think of the podcast on Twitter.
Media Contact: [email protected] or (202) 347-9767.
Asia Insight theme music is by Laura Schwartz of Bellwether Bayou.
This podcast was edited by Jerome Siangco at NBR.