DOCSLIB.ORG

Geography and Climate

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Geography and Climate Geography and Climate By Xiaoping Shen INTRODUCTION China is the most populated country in the world. More than 1 billion Chinese people live on a vast land—the third largest in the world after Russia and Canada. From Mount Everest (the world’s tallest mountain) to Turfan (the lowest land in the world at 154 meters [505 feet] below sea level) and from the cool-temperate climate in the north to the tropical climate in the south, China includes an extraordinary variety of physical environ- ments. As one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, the Chinese people have cre- ated unique cultural landscapes on this great landmass. This section will introduce both the physical and cultural aspects of the geography of China. 1. LOCATION AND TERRITORY Geography Area: China covers a land area about 9.6 million square kilometers (3.7 million China is an east Asian country located in square miles), including the mainland and the southeastern portion of the Eurasian islands. The territory of China includes landmass and on the western shore of the Taiwan, although it is currently adminis- Pacific Ocean. The territory lies between tered by governments other than that of latitudes 3º50’N to 53º31’N and longitudes the People’s Republic of China. 73ºE to 135º5’E. It covers about 50 degrees The area of China is exceeded only by of latitude and 60 degrees of longitude. those of Russia and Canada. It is slightly China is about 5,200 kilometers (3,232 larger than the area of the United States miles) from west to east, and about 5,500 (9.4 million square kilometers, or 3.6 mil- kilometers (3,418 miles) from north to lion square miles) and is similar to the south. area of all of Europe. China occupies about China and the United States are both one-fifteenth of the total land surface on mid-latitude countries in the Northern the earth and one-quarter of the area of Hemisphere. With a very similar longitudi- Asia. nal extent between China and the 48 con- Seas and Islands: China has four tiguous U.S. states, China is considerably neighboring seas on the east and southeast wider from north to south. The northern- of the land area. From north to south, they most point of China is located in the mid- are Bo Hai, Huang Hai (Yellow Sea), Dong dle of the Heilong Jiang River, which is the Hai (East China Sea), and Nan Hai (South same latitude as Edmonton in Alberta, China Sea). Canada. The southernmost point of China Besides the mainland territories, there is in the Nansha Islands on the same lati- are more than 5,000 islands scattered tude as Cali in Colombia. Comparing the along the east and southeast coast. The latitudes, Miami—which is almost the largest island is Taiwan and the second southern limit in Florida—is only halfway largest is Hainan Island. between Shanghai and Hong Kong. Time Zones: China’s vast land crosses four time zones, similar to the 48 continu- ous states of the United States. But the dif- 3 4 Facts About China ference between the two countries is that Macao the United States uses four times in four time zones, China uses only one time, Since the 16th century, Macao has been a Beijing time, for the entire country. Since Portuguese overseas territory in South Beijing is located in east China, people in China. Macao is in the delta of the Zhu western China are inconvenienced by this. Jiang River (Pearl River) and includes two People in west get up “late” and go to work small islands. The area of Macao is 17 “late”; eight o’clock in the morning Beijing square kilometers (6.6 square miles), com- time is only five o’clock local time in the prising the Macao Peninsula and the west. If Chinese people were more equally islands of Taipa and Colôane. The popula- distributed over the territory, as in the tion of Macao was 438,000 in 2000. United States, using one time for the According to the Joint Declaration on the entire country would be even more awk- Question of Macao by the Governments of ward. the People’s Republic of China and the Beijing time is ahead of U.S. time Republic of Portugal signed in 1987, China between 16 hours (Pacific time) to 13 hours resumed sovereignty over Macao on (Eastern time). When it is daytime in the December 20, 1999. United States, it is nighttime in China. China does not have daylight savings time Taiwan in the summer. Therefore, the time differ- ence decreases one hour during daylight Taiwan is a part of China and is cur- savings time in the United States. When rently administered by the Guomindang people in the United States make phone (Nationalist Party) government. Taiwan is calls to China, they must calculate the located to the southeast of the Chinese time difference. mainland, opposite Fujian Province and is separated from the southeast coast of Hong Kong China by the Taiwan Straits. To the east of Taiwan is the Pacific Ocean. Taiwan Prov- Hong Kong is a special administrative ince consists of Taiwan Island, the P’eng- region under the central government of the hu (Penghu) Islands, and 80 other smaller People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong is a neighboring islands and islets. The total port city located on China’s southeast coast area covers 36,000 square kilometers near Guangzhou city. The area of the Hong (13,900 square miles). Taiwan had a popu- Kong administrative region is 1,072 square lation of 22.28 million in 2000. kilometers (414 square miles). That Taiwan was occupied by Japan from includes Hong Kong Island, Kowloon pen- 1895 to 1945, and was returned to China at insula, nearby islands, and the New Terri- the end of World War II. When the Chinese tories north to Kowloon. Hong Kong’s Communist Party won the civil war and population was 6.67 million in 2000. founded the People’s Republic of China, the Hong Kong was a British crown colony Guomindang authorities retreated from for 155 years between 1842 and 1997. the mainland to Taiwan in 1949. To this According to the Sino-British Joint Decla- day, the Guomindang government contin- ration signed in 1984, China resumed sov- ues to refer to itself as the government of ereignty over Hong Kong at midnight on the Republic of China. The delegate from June 30, 1997. The central government of Taiwan held the seat of China in the China handles defense and foreign affairs, United Nations until 1971, when the and the Hong Kong government is respon- United Nations recognized that the gov- sible for other governmental functions. The ernment of the People’s Republic of China Chinese government has promised that was the sole legal government of China. Hong Kong will keep its own currency, (the The seat of China in the United Nations is Hong Kong dollar) and its capitalist mar- now held by the delegate from the People’s ket system for fifty years after its return to Republic of China. Working channels for China. nongovernmental contacts have been established across the Taiwan straits since 1992. Geography and Climate 5 Neighboring Countries China has 32,000 kilometers (19,888 miles) of coastline (including mainland and China has a land boundary of 22,800 island coastlines) on the east and south- kilometers (14,170 miles) and is bounded east. Across the seas to the east and south- by 16 countries: North Korea, Russia, Mon- east, the parts of the ocean owned by golia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China touch borders with parts of the Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, India, ocean owned by the following countries: Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Myanmar Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Philip- (Burma), Laos, and Vietnam. pines, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Malay- sia, and Indonesia. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS Regional Administrative System Autonomous Regions: When the majority of people in a region are from a single China has three major regional adminis- minority nationality, this region is classi- trative levels: provincial level, county level, fied as an autonomous region. For exam- and township level. There is a prefecture ple, the Hui nationality is the majority in level between the provincial and county Ningxia; therefore, Ningxia is a Hui auton- levels, but it does not have full government omous region. The five autonomous regions authority as the three major levels, except are Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Inner for those autonomous prefectures and pre- Mongolia autonomous region, Tibet auton- fecture level cities. Township is the lowest omous region, Guangxi Zhuang autono- level in government hierarchy; village and mous region, and Xinjiang Uygur street are communities that have a com- autonomous region. The names in italics mittee but do not have government offi- are the names of nationalities that have cials. China is divided into twenty-three the autonomous authority. The regional provinces (including Taiwan), five autono- government is located at the regional capi- mous regions, four municipalities, and two tal. special administrative regions (Hong Kong Municipalities: Municipality is a spe- and Macao) at the provincial level. cial term in the Chinese administrative Capital: Beijing has been the capital of system for large cities that are directly the People’s Republic of China since 1949. under the central government and enjoy It is the political, cultural, scientific, and provincial level status, although they have educational center of China. Beijing is a much smaller areas and populations. The historical city and has served as the four such municipalities are Beijing, Tian- national capital for more than 800 years.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ecosystem Services Changes Between 2000 and 2015 in the Loess Plateau, China: a Response to Ecological Restoration
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Ecosystem services changes between 2000 and 2015 in the Loess Plateau, China: A response to ecological restoration Dan Wu1, Changxin Zou1, Wei Cao2*, Tong Xiao3, Guoli Gong4 1 Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, China, 2 Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, China, 3 Satellite Environment Center, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing, China, 4 Shanxi Academy of Environmental Planning, Taiyuan, China a1111111111 a1111111111 * [email protected] a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 Abstract The Loess Plateau of China is one of the most severe soil and water loss areas in the world. Since 1999, the Grain to Green Program (GTGP) has been implemented in the region. This OPEN ACCESS study aimed to analyze spatial and temporal variations of ecosystem services from 2000 to Citation: Wu D, Zou C, Cao W, Xiao T, Gong G 2015 to assess the effects of the GTGP, including carbon sequestration, water regulation, (2019) Ecosystem services changes between 2000 soil conservation and sand fixation. During the study period, the area of forest land and and 2015 in the Loess Plateau, China: A response grassland significantly expanded, while the area of farmland decreased sharply. Ecosystem to ecological restoration. PLoS ONE 14(1): services showed an overall improvement with localized deterioration. Carbon sequestration, e0209483. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0209483 water regulation and soil conservation increased substantially. Sand fixation showed a decreasing trend mainly because of decreased wind speeds. There were synergies Editor: Debjani Sihi, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UNITED STATES between carbon sequestration and water regulation, and tradeoffs between soil conserva- tion and sand fixation.
    [Show full text]
  • Optical and Physical Characteristics of the Lowest Aerosol Layers Over the Yellow River Basin
    atmosphere Article Optical and Physical Characteristics of the Lowest Aerosol Layers over the Yellow River Basin Miao Zhang 1,*, Jing Liu 2, Muhammad Bilal 3,* , Chun Zhang 1, Feifei Zhao 1, Xiaoyan Xie 4,5 and Khaled Mohamed Khedher 6,7 1 School of Environmental Science and Tourism, Nanyang Normal University, Wolong Road No.1638, Nan Yang 473061, China; [email protected] (C.Z.); zff@nynu.edu.cn (F.Z.) 2 Lingnan College, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; [email protected] 3 School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 2100444, China 4 South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; [email protected] 5 College of Marine Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China 6 Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia; [email protected] 7 Department of Civil Engineering, Institut Superieur des Etudes Technologiques, Campus Universitaire Mrezgua, Nabeul 8000, Tunisia * Correspondence: [email protected] (M.Z.); [email protected] (M.B.) Received: 17 September 2019; Accepted: 19 October 2019; Published: 22 October 2019 Abstract: Studying the presence of aerosols in different atmospheric layers helps researchers understand their impacts on climate change, air quality, and human health. Therefore, in the present study, the optical and physical properties of aerosol layers over the Yellow River Basin (YERB) were investigated using the CALIPSO Level 2 aerosol layer products from January 2007 to December 2014. The Yellow River Basin was divided into three sub-regions i.e., YERB1 (the plain region downstream of the YERB), YERB2 (the Loess Plateau region in the middle reaches of the YERB), and YERB3 (the mountainous terrain in the upper reaches of the YERB).
    [Show full text]
  • China Sets Sail Andrew Erickson, Lyle Goldstein & Carnes Lord
    THE NEW ASIAN ORDER China has been undergoing an historic shift in emphasis from land to naval power. Is its maritime buildup a strategic necessity or an ill-conceived diversion? China Sets Sail Andrew Erickson, Lyle Goldstein & Carnes Lord he People’s Republic of China is in With but one notable exception, China’s the process of an astonishing, multi- rulers throughout history have traditionally em- T faceted transformation. If the explosive phasized land power over sea power. Of course, growth of China’s industrial economy over the ordinary Chinese living on the country’s exten- past several decades is the most obvious com- sive coastline have always taken to the sea for ponent of that transformation, no less remark- their livelihood, but the economy of China has able is China’s turn to the sea. With its stun- always been fundamentally rooted in its soil. To ning advance in global shipbuilding markets, the extent that the Chinese engaged in com- its vast and expanding merchant marine, the mercial activities over the centuries, they did so wide reach of its offshore energy and minerals primarily with a view to their large and largely exploration, its growing fishing fleet, and not self-sufficient internal market, readily accessible least, its rapidly modernizing navy, China is through China’s great navigable river systems fast becoming an outward-looking maritime as well as its many seaward ports. Moreover, state. At a time when the U.S. Navy continues prior to 1840, the Chinese faced virtually no to shrink in numbers if not relative capability, sustained security threats on their ocean flank.
    [Show full text]
  • Landslides on the Loess Plateau of China: a Latest Statistics Together with a Close Look
    Landslides on the Loess Plateau of China: a latest statistics together with a close look Xiang-Zhou Xu, Wen-Zhao Guo, Ya- Kun Liu, Jian-Zhong Ma, Wen-Long Wang, Hong-Wu Zhang & Hang Gao Natural Hazards Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards ISSN 0921-030X Volume 86 Number 3 Nat Hazards (2017) 86:1393-1403 DOI 10.1007/s11069-016-2738-6 1 23 Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer Science +Business Media Dordrecht. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be self- archived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com”. 1 23 Author's personal copy Nat Hazards (2017) 86:1393–1403 DOI 10.1007/s11069-016-2738-6 SHORT COMMUNICATION Landslides on the Loess Plateau of China: a latest statistics together with a close look 1,2 2 2 Xiang-Zhou Xu • Wen-Zhao Guo • Ya-Kun Liu • 1 1 3 Jian-Zhong Ma • Wen-Long Wang • Hong-Wu Zhang • Hang Gao2 Received: 16 December 2016 / Accepted: 26 December 2016 / Published online: 3 January 2017 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2017 Abstract Landslide plays an important role in landscape evolution, delivers huge amounts of sediment to rivers and seriously affects the structure and function of ecosystems and society.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Situation in China – Crisis Or Business As Usual?
    Water Situation In China – Crisis Or Business As Usual? Elaine Leong Master Thesis LIU-IEI-TEK-A--13/01600—SE Department of Management and Engineering Sub-department 1 Water Situation In China – Crisis Or Business As Usual? Elaine Leong Supervisor at LiU: Niclas Svensson Examiner at LiU: Niclas Svensson Supervisor at Shell Global Solutions: Gert-Jan Kramer Master Thesis LIU-IEI-TEK-A--13/01600—SE Department of Management and Engineering Sub-department 2 This page is left blank with purpose 3 Summary Several studies indicates China is experiencing a water crisis, were several regions are suffering of severe water scarcity and rivers are heavily polluted. On the other hand, water is used inefficiently and wastefully: water use efficiency in the agriculture sector is only 40% and within industry, only 40% of the industrial wastewater is recycled. However, based on statistical data, China’s total water resources is ranked sixth in the world, based on its water resources and yet, Yellow River and Hai River dries up in its estuary every year. In some regions, the water situation is exacerbated by the fact that rivers’ water is heavily polluted with a large amount of untreated wastewater, discharged into the rivers and deteriorating the water quality. Several regions’ groundwater is overexploited due to human activities demand, which is not met by local. Some provinces have over withdrawn groundwater, which has caused ground subsidence and increased soil salinity. So what is the situation in China? Is there a water crisis, and if so, what are the causes? This report is a review of several global water scarcity assessment methods and summarizes the findings of the results of China’s water resources to get a better understanding about the water situation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Military Dimensions of U.S. – China Security Cooperation: Retrospective and Future Prospects
    The Military Dimensions of U.S. – China Security Cooperation: Retrospective and Future Prospects Dr. David Finkelstein CIM D0023640.A1/Final September 2010 CNA is a non-profit research and analysis organization comprised of the Center for Naval Analyses (a federally funded research and development center) and the Institute for Public Research. The CNA China Studies division provides its sponsors, and the public, analyses of China’s emerging role in the international order, China’s impact in the Asia-Pacific region, important issues in US-China relations, and insights into critical developments within China itself. Whether focused on Chinese defense and security issues, Beijing’s foreign policies, bilateral relations, political developments, economic affairs, or social change, our analysts adhere to the same spirit of non-partisanship, objectivity, and empiricism that is the hallmark of CNA research. Our program is built upon a foundation of analytic products and hosted events. Our publications take many forms: research monographs, short papers, and briefings as well as edited book-length studies. Our events include major conferences, guest speakers, seminars, and workshops. All of our products and programs are aimed at providing the insights and context necessary for developing sound plans and policies and for making informed judgments about China. CNA China Studies enjoys relationships with a wide network of subject matter experts from universities, from government, and from the private sector both in the United States and overseas. We particularly value our extensive relationships with counterpart organizations throughout “Greater China”, other points across Asia, and beyond. Dr. David M. Finkelstein, Vice President and Director of CNA China Studies, is available at (703) 824-2952 and on e-mail at [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • *Use the Notes to Answer the Questions. Asia: •The Vast Continent of Asia Has Many Different Mountain, Desert, and Water Features
    *Use the notes to answer the questions. Asia: •The vast continent of Asia has many different mountain, desert, and water features. •Icy mountain ranges are located in the north, while steamy rainforests lie in the south. •A large part of Asia is desert, yet much of southern and eastern Asia receives massive amounts of rain each year. •These features impact trade and affect where people live. IMPACT OF MOUNTAINS: Himalayas: •The Himalayas are a mountain range with some of the tallest peaks in the entire world. •They have a significant impact on life in southwest China and northwest India. •Hydroelectric power plants have been built on glaciers throughout the Himalayas continued: •India is separated from the rest of Asia on three sides by mountain ranges. •On India’s side of the Himalayas, the high mountains trap rain clouds, so rainforests and grasslands can be found. •The Chinese side of the icy Himalayas receives very little rainfall and the population is much lower here. Tibetan Plateau: •The Tibetan Plateau covers the majority of western China and is the world’s highest plateau at 14,800 feet above sea level. •Because of the region’s extremely high elevations, it has been nicknamed “the roof of the world”. •Many of Asia’s major rivers begin in the Tibetan Plateau, and are fed by more than 30,000 glaciers that are located here. •In this region, summers are very short and winters are long and extremely cold. •During the few warmer months, farmers are able to let livestock graze in the region’s grasslands.
    [Show full text]
  • Mysterious Carvings and Evidence of Human Sacrifice Uncovered in Ancient City
    Mysterious carvings and evidence of human sacrifice uncovered in ancient city Discoveries at the sprawling site have archaeologists rethinking the roots of Chinese civilization. By Brook Larmer PUBLISHED August 6, 2020 The stones didn’t give up their secrets easily. For decades, villagers in the dust-blown hills of China’s Loess Plateau believed that the crumbling rock walls near their homes were part of the Great Wall. It made sense. Remnants of the ancient barrier zigzag through this arid region inside the northern loop of the Yellow River, marking the frontier of Chinese rule stretching back more than 2,000 years. But one detail was curiously out of place: Locals, and then looters, began finding in the rubble pieces of jade, some fashioned into discs and blades and scepters. Jade is not indigenous to this northernmost part of Shaanxi Province— the nearest source is almost a thousand miles away—and it was not a known feature of the Great Wall. Why was it Join archaeologists as they search for clues to the mysterious fate of “China’s Pompeii” in a new three-part series. Ancient China from Above premiers in the U.S. Tuesday August 11 at 10/9c on National Geographic. For all other countries check local listings. When a team of Chinese archaeologists came to investigate the conundrum several years ago, they began to unearth something wondrous and puzzling. The stones were not part of the Great Wall but the ruins of a magnificent fortress city. The ongoing dig has revealed more than six miles of protective walls surrounding a 230-foot-high pyramid and an inner sanctum with painted murals, jade artifacts—and gruesome evidence of human sacrifice.
    [Show full text]
  • Without Land, There Is No Life: Chinese State Suppression of Uyghur Environmental Activism
    Without land, there is no life: Chinese state suppression of Uyghur environmental activism Table of Contents Summary ..............................................................................................................................2 Cultural Significance of the Environment and Environmentalism ......................................5 Nuclear Testing: Suppression of Uyghur Activism ...........................................................15 Pollution and Ecological Destruction in East Turkestan ...................................................30 Lack of Participation in Decision Making: Development and Displacement ....................45 Legal Instruments...............................................................................................................61 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................66 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................69 Endnotes .............................................................................................................................70 Cover image: Dead toghrak (populus nigra) tree in Niya. Photo courtesy of Flickr 1 Summary The intimate connection between the Uyghur people and the land of East Turkestan is celebrated in songs and poetry written and performed in the Uyghur language. Proverbs in Uyghur convey how the Uyghur culture is tied to reverence of the land and that an individual’s identity is inseparable
    [Show full text]
  • Ecosystem Service Assessment of the Ili Delta, Kazakhstan Niels Thevs
    Ecosystem service assessment of the Ili Delta, Kazakhstan Niels Thevs, Volker Beckmann, Sabir Nurtazin, Ruslan Salmuzauli, Azim Baibaysov, Altyn Akimalieva, Elisabeth A. A. Baranoeski, Thea L. Schäpe, Helena Röttgers, Nikita Tychkov 1. Territorial and geographical location Ili Delta, Kazakhstan Almatinskaya Oblast (province), Bakanas Rayon (county) The Ili Delta is part of the Ramsar Site Ile River Delta and South Lake Balkhash Ramsar Site 2. Natural and geographic data Basic geographical data: location between 45° N and 46° N as well as 74° E and 75.5° E. Fig. 1: Map of the Ili-Balkhash Basin (Imentai et al., 2015). Natural areas: The Ramsar Site Ile River Delta and South Lake Balkhash Ramsar Site comprises wetlands and meadow vegetation (the modern delta), ancient river terraces that now harbour Saxaul and Tamarx shrub vegetation, and the southern coast line of the western part of Lake Balkhash. Most ecosystem services can be attributed to the wetlands and meadow vegetation. Therefore, this study focusses on the modern delta with its wetlands and meadows. During this study, a land cover map was created through classification of Rapid Eye Satellite images from the year 2014. The land cover classes relevant for this study were: water bodies in the delta, dense reed (total vegetation more than 70%), and open reed and shrub vegetation (vegetation cover of reed 20- 70% and vegetation cover of shrubs and trees more than 70%). The land cover class dense reed was further split into submerged dense reed and non-submerged dense reed by applying a threshold to the short wave infrared channel of a Landsat satellite image from 4 April 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • The Framework on Eco-Efficient Water Infrastructure Development in China
    KICT-UNESCAP Eco-Efficient Water Infrastructure Project The Framework on Eco-efficient Water Infrastructure Development in China (Final-Report) General Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design, Ministry of Water Resources, China December 2009 Contents 1. WATER RESOURCES AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PRESENT SITUATION AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER RESOURCES....................................................................................................... 6 1.2 WATER USE ISSUES IN CHINA .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.3 FOUR WATER RESOURCES ISSUES FACED BY CHINA .......................................................................................... 8 1.4 CHINA’S PRACTICE IN WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT................................................................................10 1.4.1 Philosophy change of water resources management...............................................................................10 1.4.2 Water resources management system .....................................................................................................12 1.4.3 Environmental management system for water infrastructure construction ..............................................13 1.4.4 System of water-draw and utilization assessment ...................................................................................13
    [Show full text]
  • Nuclear Deterrence and Conventional Conflict
    VIEW Sticks and Stones Nuclear Deterrence and Conventional Conflict DR. KATHRYN M.G. BOEHLEFELD n the night of 15 June 2020, Sino- Indian tensions flared into fighting along the disputed border in the region known as the Galwan Valley. The fighting led to the first casualties along the border in 45 years. However, Ono one on either side fired a single shot.1 Instead, soldiers threw rocks and used wooden clubs wrapped in barbed wire to attack one another. Two of the most powerful armies in the world, both of which possess nuclear weapons, clashed with one another using sticks and stones. Nuclear weapons prevent nuclear states from engaging in large-scale conven- tional war with one another, or at least, the existence of such advanced weapons has correlated with a significant decrease in conventional war between nuclear- armed adversaries over the past 80 years. Nuclear weapons tend to make nuclear adversaries wearier of engaging in conventional warfare with one another because they fear inadvertent escalation: that a war will spiral out of control and end in a nuclear exchange even if the war’s aims were originally fairly limited. However, this fear has not fully prevented the Chinese and Indian militaries from engaging in skirmishes, like the one that occurred in June 2020. Where does escalation to- ward nuclear war start, and what does this conflict teach both us and major world players about the dangers and opportunities associated with low levels of conflict between nuclear powers? Escalation to nuclear use may occur as a deliberate and premeditated choice or inadvertently as the result of a security dilemma, the offensive nature of militaries, and/or due to the fog of war.2 This article argues that the Sino- Indian border dispute demonstrates that the drivers of inadvertent escalation may be present even at exceptionally low levels of conflict.
    [Show full text]