Abstract:
The main purpose of this thesis is to study the Chinese non-proliferation policy through its accession to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) during the period 1949 1992. By using the international cooperation approach as a framework for analysis, the thesis analyzes and describes a decisive factor affecting Chinas non-proliferation policy towards its accession to NPT in 1992. The assumption of this study is that China decided to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty in 1992 because China wanted to restore its image by cooperating with the international non-proliferation regime in accordance with its responsibility as a major power. The study confirmed the hypothesis that China decided to accede the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty because it was concerned with its image as a major power. Due to several issues that have affected its image since the late 1980s, including its violation of the non-proliferation regime as evidenced by its nuclear cooperation agreement with Iran, Pakistan and Algeria, the China Threat discourse, its own nuclear development and Frances accession to Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.