Indo-Pacific to see huge missile buildup by 2030s, Carnegie analyst says

To avoid escalation, countries should 'forswear preemptive attacks' on national leaders

A U.S. guided-missile destroyer fires a Tomahawk missile in a training area. Japan seeks to acquire Tomahawks. (U.S. Navy handout via Reuters)

KEN MORIYASU, Nikkei Asia diplomatic correspondent

November 28, 2023 04:15 JST

WASHINGTON -- By the 2030s, the Indo-Pacific region will be filled with thousands of new missiles as the U.S., China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Taiwan race to expand their arsenals, Ankit Panda, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow, said Monday.

The danger, Panda told Nikkei Asia, is the "intersection between advanced conventional missile systems and the risk of nuclear war." The greatest fear is that countries such as China and North Korea may be more likely to resort to nuclear use if these conventional missiles are perceived to target their national leadership, he said.