Future historians are very likely to see nuclear proliferation-or the averting of nuclear proliferation-as one of the central determinants of international politics in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Certainly the development of an independent nuclear deterrent by the People's Republic of China and the possibility that Taiwan, Korea, Jap

William H. Overholt has served on the Hudson Institute research staff since 1971 as a policy analyst specializing in foreign policy, Asian politics, and policy development. He is also a research associate at Columbia University's Research Institute on International Change.

Preface -- The Next Phase in Nuclear Proliferation Research -- China as a Nuclear Power -- Nuclear Arms and Japan -- Nuclear Proliferation in Eastern Asia -- India's Nuclear Program: Decisions, Intent, and Policy, 1950-1976 -- India, Pakistan, Iran . . . : A Nuclear Proliferation Chain? -- A U.S. Nuclear Posture for Asia