By Hai Ning
According to media reports, the US military plans to dispatch nuclear-armed strategic submarines to the ROK on the occasion of the G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023 in late May. If this plan comes true, it will be the first time for the US to dock strategic nuclear submarines to the Korean Peninsula since the 1980s. The Washington Declaration jointly released by the US and ROK states that the US will provide nuclear protection to the ROK, and the two sides agree to extend nuclear crisis negotiations and strengthen joint military exercises and simulative drills, and accelerate US strategic asset deployment around the Korean Peninsula, including strategic nuclear submarines.
The US has frequently hyped nuclear threats of certain countries in recent years, which intensified the sense of insecurity and intention of seeking nuclear protection of some countries. Meanwhile, the US attempts to tie up allies and suppress opponents through selective nuclear proliferation. Amid the fluctuating situations of the Korean Peninsula, the US affirmation to upgrade "extended deterrence" for ROK will inevitably further increase tensions in Northeast Asia.
The US attempts to upgrade extended deterrence for ROK under the pretext of "threats from the DPRK", but military experts pointed out that re-deployment of strategic nuclear submarines in the Korean Peninsula after over 40 years is obviously not simply to target the DPRK, but more toward other countries. In the meantime, supply chain and key technology cooperation between the two countries also work in concert with the US policies of building small yards with high fences and pushing for decoupling and fragmenting industrial and supply chains. According to analyses of ROK media, the US has long intended to make the ROK one of the chess pieces of its "Indo-Pacific Strategy", and the ROK is being drawn into the bloc confrontation trap set by the US and gradually becomes a follower of US hegemonic international strategy based on Cold War mentality.
For some time, it is more noticeable that the US tends to adopt a nuclear policy characterized by pragmatism and double standards driven by its "major power competition" strategy. On the one hand, the US often suppresses its rivals and "hostile" countries and doesn't hesitate to abuse political isolation, economic sanctions and military deterrence in the name of preventing nuclear proliferation. On the other hand, it also provides protection umbrella of extended nuclear deterrence for its allies and partners and even gives the green light to their nuclear development processes through political commitment, forward deployment of nuclear forces, cooperation on nuclear material and technology, and nuclear intelligence sharing. The nuclear submarine cooperation among the US, UK and Australia and other irresponsible selective nuclear proliferation activities of the US will severely deteriorate the global security situation.
The selective nuclear proliferation strategy of the US will not safeguard the security of its allies by means of nuclear deterrents, but exacerbate their nuclear confrontation posture and put them at risk of being the first to be nuked. Russia had made strong representations on the US announcement to deploy nuclear weapons in Poland and planned to deploy nuclear weapons somewhere closer to Poland.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime, and any selfish moves in pursuit of private geopolitical interests by resorting to nuclear proliferation tactics run counter to the original purpose of this treaty. All the selfish actions of the US have brought about grave nuclear proliferation risks, stoked a nuclear arms race, undermined regional peace and stability, and left endless troubles for the whole world, which are worthy of high vigilance from the international community. The US should abandon the Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic, adopt rational and responsible nuclear policies and earnestly fulfill special and primary responsibilities of nuclear disarmament to play its due role in maintaining global strategic stability and enhancing world peace and security.
