On December 3, the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security hosted the third not-for-attribution workshop on extended deterrence in northeast Asia. This session focused specifically on in China and North Korea. The chairmen of the workshop series, Richard Armitage, president of Armitage International, and Kurt Campbell, chairman and chief executive officer of the Asia Group LLC, hosted the session.

The discussion touched upon the strategies of China and North Korea that challenge the status quo in East Asia and the motivation behind their decision-making processes. The experts discussed the different facets of the Sino-American relationship and on security and economic cooperation among Asian countries. In addition, the event also highlighted the strategy of US policy toward North Korea and the geopolitical ramifications of that strategy.

The workshop covers key issues regarding potential adversary deterrence and US ally reassurance. Sustaining credible deterrence in 21st century Northeast Asia is far more complex, multi-layered, and continually evolving than the nuclear “balance of terror” during the Cold War.