How much of a reprieve?
And how does it affect South Asia? The answer to the second of these questions is easier and more straightforward. Even if the NMD project were to be completely abandoned the crucial issue for this Indian Government is future Chinese nuclear behaviour. Here a serious problem remains. For Beijing it is not enough that the NMD project be delayed or abandoned. The Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) project of the U.S. and its East Asian allies (Japan and South Korea) must also be fully discarded. This, however, is proceeding apace. Russian objections raised by the President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, were instrumental in making Mr. Clinton think twice but there are no Russian objections to the East Asian TMD since theatre defences are allowed under the 1972 ABM Treaty. Also, it is not only the U.S. but Japan that wants an East Asian TMD precisely because of its longer-term fears of China though publicly North Korea is the scapegoat. Thus China has to build up its intermediate-range nuclear missile f
