Chinese Perspectives on Arms Control and Strategic Stability in Emerging Technologies | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network
AI Analysis
China has released a white paper outlining its concerns regarding 'cross-domain entanglement' in emerging technologies – space, cyber, and AI – and proposing arms control measures. The paper highlights risks of miscalculation stemming from blurred civilian/military lines, cyberattacks on nuclear C3, and AI-driven escalation. China seeks a proactive role in shaping global security architecture in these domains.
Key Takeaways
- China is increasingly concerned about the convergence of space, cyber, and AI technologies creating new strategic risks.
- China opposes the weaponization of space and views mega-constellations like Starlink as a threat to digital sovereignty and stability.
- The report identifies a 'cyber-nuclear' overlap, where cyberattacks on satellite infrastructure could compromise nuclear command and control.
- China advocates for maintaining human control over nuclear weapons and refraining from attacking each other's AI systems within nuclear C3.
- The paper proposes a crisis management mechanism for incidents involving unmanned systems and space assets.
Why It Matters
This white paper signals a shift in China’s approach to arms control, moving beyond traditional domains to address emerging technologies. It indicates a desire to establish norms and potentially constrain US capabilities in space and AI, particularly those perceived as threatening to China’s nuclear deterrent. The proposals, if pursued, could lead to bilateral discussions and potentially new agreements impacting global strategic stability.
Chinese Perspectives on Arms Control and Strategic Stability in Emerging Technologies | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network
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On November 27, 2025, China released a White Paper titled “China’s Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-proliferation in the “New Era,” which for the first time dedicated a chapter to outlining its international security governance propositions in emerging fields such as outer space, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Tianjiao Jiang, notes that this white paper signals China’s move toward a more proactive role in arms control. Beijing is increasingly concerned with “cross-domain entanglement,” where emerging technologies blur the lines between traditional and modern warfare, creating new national and international risks. By dedicating a formal policy chapter to these emerging fields in the White Paper, Beijing is asserting its intent to be a primary architect of the 21st-century global security architecture.
The author highlights three primary “entanglements” threatening global stability:
Space Entanglement: China opposes the weaponization of space and the rise of mega-constellations like Starlink. These systems blur civilian-military lines, threaten digital sovereignty, and create power imbalances. Their potential for “non-kinetic” attacks (lasers, jamming) and high collision risks increase the likelihood of strategic miscalculation.
Cyber Entanglement: The integration of satellite internet has merged space and cyberspace, complicating attribution for attacks. This “cyber-nuclear” overlap poses a critical risk, as cyberattacks on satellite ground stations could compromise nuclear command and control (C3) systems, leading to unintended escalation.
AI and Strategic Entanglement: AI further complicates space, cyber, and nuclear security by overwhelming traditional defences and accelerating crisis timelines. A nuclear crisis triggered by AI could be an extremely pressing and catastrophic security risk.
The report suggests that Chinese and American experts should work together to send a message to both Beijing and Washington that the AI-nuclear issue needs to be a priority in bilateral relations, and that multi-layered safeguards against AI-induced crises are sorely needed. To that end, the author makes the following recommendations:
- The leaders of China and the United States should reaffirm the principle of keeping nuclear weapons under human control.
- Washington and Beijing should explore commitments on refraining from attacking each other’s AI systems within NC3.
- Both sides should explore banning unmanned platforms from carrying nuclear weapons.
- Establish a crisis management mechanism for emergencies involving unmanned equipment and space assets, and clarify protocols for handling such situations.
- Dialogue regarding strategic stability and nuclear posture remains indispensable.
- In addition to keeping humans in the loop, insurance mechanisms like nuclear fail-safe are still ke