TMD Panels 2001

“TMD in East Asia: Perspectives on Regional Implications”
Missile Defense Initiative Panel Seminars


San Francisco, CA ~ August 13, 2001


Los Angeles, CA ~ August 14, 2001

TMD Panel in S.F.*

Panelists’ Biographies   *   Panel Transcripts    (Forthcoming)


On Monday, August 13, and Tuesday, August 14, the Nautilus Institute co-convened two public panel discussions of current missile defense issues in East Asia. Panelists discussed the scope of current US theater missile defense (TMD) planning in East Asia, the relationship of this planning to US national missile defense (NMD) intentions, and the potential regional and global implications of US missile defense deployment.

The panel featured international experts on the technical and strategic dimensions of both TMD and NMD:

  • Li Bin , Ph.D. (China), Director, Arms Control Program, Institute of International Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing.
  • Victor Mizin , Ph.D. (Russia), Diplomat-in-Residence and Visiting Scholar, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies.
  • Dean Wilkening , Ph.D. (United States), Director, Science Program, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University.
  • Wade Huntley , Ph.D., Director, Global Peace and Security Program, Nautilus Institute (moderator).

The purpose of these meetings was to generate greater public and media awareness among West Coast constituencies of East Asian views on current missile defense issues, particularly in the wake of recent Bush administration initiatives. The intention was to help stimulate thinking and action among communities in the region particularly sensitive to the potential political consequences of vigorous US pursuit of TMD & NMD deployments. Panelists’ presentations focused on two issues:1. East Asian regional security implications of current US TMD proposals.

2. Links of East Asian regional TMD initiatives to strategic missile defense proposals (e.g. NMD).

Both panel presentations were open to the public, with registration required. Both events were recorded for later radio broadcast.

The panel presentations flow from the Nautilus Missile Defense Initiative. In the past year, the work under our Missile Defense Initiative has included commissioned analysis and Freedom of Information Act primary research aimed at delineating the strategic and political consequences of theater missile defense deployment in East Asia, and examining the implications of this prospect for national missile defense proposals and for global-level nuclear disarmament efforts. One highlight of this work was the workshop we convened in Tokyo last June, bringing together Chinese, Japanese and US specialists for analysis and focused discussion of the key issues. For materials from this meeting visit the TMD Workshop web page.

 

 

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