The Future of U.S.-China Nuclear Relations with Eric Gomez

July 14, 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not only elevated the risk of a nuclear conflict but also led to some rethinking about the role of nuclear weapons in international affairs. Even before the war, weapon development in North Korea and the breakdown of negotiations with Iran already set back progress in arms control. Meanwhile, China is rapidly expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal alongside the rest of its military, prompting warnings of a potential arms race in the Pacific. How should we think about the role of nuclear weapons in the Asia-Pacific and the threats that they cause? What are the implications of a potential nuclear competition between the United States and China? 

Host Zoe Leung is joined by Eric Gomez, director of defense policy studies at the Cato Institute, to explore these questions. 

Mr. Gomez’s research focuses on the U.S. military budget and force posture, as well as arms control and nuclear stability issues in East Asia. In 2020, Mr. Gomez was a member of the Project on Nuclear Issues Nuclear Scholars Initiative program, where he conducted research on the impacts of U.S. intermediate‐​range missiles on U.S.-China strategic stability. He also participated in the 2019 Strategic Force Analysis Boot Camp hosted by Georgetown University and Sandia National Laboratories. He is the coeditor, with Caroline Dorminey, of America’s Nuclear Crossroads: A Forward‐​Looking Anthology.

Mr. Gomez received a BA in international relations from the State University of New York–College at Geneseo and an MA in international affairs from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.