Fiona Cunningham

This article is my first in a new research agenda examining when China shapes global norms and rules surrounding advanced military technologies. It appears in a special issue on law, ethics, and deterrence edited by Janina Dill and Scott Sagan, so check out the other articles too!

PLA legal experts argue that nuclear use is prohibited under LOAC, which makes China’s NFU policy the best choice to comply with the law. But China’s nuclear experts do not view “legal” nuclear operations as legitimate if presented with the U.S. interpretation of the law, which permits first-use.

My article therefore examines how China legitimizes its nuclear strategy and specifically whether China now relies on international law, too. I find different answers among the PLA’s legal experts and China’s community of nuclear experts.

China’s NFU policy, the traditional source of legitimacy for its nuclear strategy, is losing credibility among foreign audiences because of its nuclear modernization, which also enables China to comply with the law of armed conflict in its nuclear operations.

I am especially proud of this piece because it is my first published article to draw on post-COVID fieldwork in China, interviewing PRC experts about legitimate nuclear targeting and international law. I also leveraged my law degree for the first time in my political science research!

I am thrilled to share my new *open access* article in Security Studies, “Other than Law: Legitimizing China’s Nuclear Strategy.” www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Fall 2025 issue preview @intsecurity.bsky.social!

M. Trachtenberg | rules-based international order
@aaronbateman.bsky.social | U.S. space power
@ajmount.bsky.social | conventional deterrence of nuclear use
DJ Kim | clients’ demand evasion
@mikegoldfien.bsky.social | hawks, doves, & rapprochement

I'm thrilled to have an article in the fall volume of International Security on the role of allies in U.S. space power during the Cold War!

At the Elliott School of International Affairs we are searching for a senior scholar (associate or full) of international security who will also be appointed to the Political Science Department. Elliott is a fantastic community. See details below:
www.gwu.jobs/postings/122...

The Evolution of Weapons in Space: A Conversation with Aaron Bateman A conversation with Dr Aaron Bateman, exploring his research on the history of accelerating superpower military competition in space during the late Cold War and thereafter.

On 3 Oct I'll be in London to give a talk at RUSI about the origins/ evolution of space-based missile defense and its implications for space security and the transatlantic alliance. If you happen to be in London and are interested, the registration details are below:
my.rusi.org/events/the-e...

New podcast

How has strategic deterrence evolved from the Cold War to the current era?

@aaronbateman.bsky.social and @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social join @davidmandrews.bsky.social to explore this, with a focus on nuclear weapons, space capabilities and other approaches.

Listen
tinyurl.com/7b4n22fp

Slightly belatedly sharing this H-Diplo roundtable honoring the contributions of the late Owen Cote. Contributions from Barry Posen, Steve Miller, Phil Haun, @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social, Lena Andrews, Austin Long, and myself.
We miss Owen everyday.
networks.h-net.org/group/discus...

Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International

Next week: "Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International Security" with @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social

RSVP here⤵️
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/under...

Thanks to the @astropoliticswg.bsky.social for a great discussion about my book this morning/afternoon, focusing on the counterspace elements of PRC strategic deterrence!

Under the Nuclear Shadow China's Deterrence Playbook

PWH director @mchorowitz.bsky.social and PWH faculty fellow @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social are featured on @jordanschneider.bsky.social's China Talk about Cunningham's new book, Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International Security.
🎧: www.chinatalk.media/p/chinas-nuc...

Under the Nuclear Shadow China's Deterrence Playbook

I spoke to @jordanschneider.bsky.social on the China Talk podcast with my wonderful colleague @mchorowitz.bsky.social about all things China and strategic deterrence, inspired by my new @princetonupress.bsky.social book “Under the Nuclear Shadow”. Check it out: www.chinatalk.media/p/chinas-nuc...

Astropolitics The Astropolitics Working Group brings together scholars working on the politics of outer space. In this nascent field, we support, develop, and enrich research in studying the international politics…

@astropoliticswg.bsky.social events!🎉

AGM: open to all AWG members 15 May - inc. a review of AWG activities, Update on Convenors' term and more

Book talk - Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International Security w/ @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social

link -

I’m excited to discuss my book “Under the Nuclear Shadow” on China and strategic deterrence in the info age at @perryworldhouse.bsky.social with @financialtimes.com US-China correspondent Demetri Sevastopulo TODAY! Details here perryworldhouse.upenn.edu/events/under... @princetonupress.bsky.social

Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Weapons in the Information Age - Perry World House How can states use military force to achieve their political aims without triggering a catastrophic nuclear war? Among the states facing this dilemma of fighting limited wars, only China has given…

This Tuesday (April 29) at noon EDT: @perryworldhouse.bsky.social welcomes @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social to discuss her new book, Under the Nuclear Shadow. Demetri Sevastopulo will be moderating.

Register today for this hybrid event:

Congratulations Tristan!!! So well-deserved!

Thanks to @rabsaa.bsky.social for her really thoughtful commentary on my new @princetonupress.bsky.social book at @belfercenter.bsky.social this week! Nuclear policy, emerging tech, and escalation are such exciting areas for further research!

Thanks to @matthew-bunn.bsky.social, Francesca Giovannini and the terrific nuclear community at the @belfercenter.bsky.social’s Project on Managing the Atom for hosting me to talk about my new @princetonupress.bsky.social book and my new research on the PRC nuclear modernization this week!

Book talk: Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International Security- Astropolitics | BISA - Astropolitics Working Group

📚 @astropoliticswg.bsky.social Book talk: 15 May
@fiona-cunningham.bsky.social will be discussing her new book 'Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International Security'

To register now 👉 buff.ly/4UaCBm9

@princetonupress.bsky.social @perryworldhouse.bsky.social

Under the Nuclear Shadow: China's Information-Age Weapons in International Security How can states use military force to achieve their political aims without triggering a catastrophic nuclear war? Among the states facing this dilemma of fighting limited wars, only China has given inf...

Thank you to the Center for International Security Studies at Princeton SPIA for inviting me to talk about my new @princetonupress.bsky.social book yesterday. We had a terrific conversation about all things China, nuclear, technology, security & undersea warfare! ciss.princeton.edu/events/under...

Nuclear Weaponry and China’s Approach of Strategic Substitution A conversation between Bonnie Glaser and Fiona Cunningham discussing the limited war dilemma and China's approach of strategic substitution, based on the latter’s newly published book titled, "Under…

Check out the China Global Podcast hosted by @bglaser.bsky.social, where @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social discusses her new book Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information Age Weapons in International Security: www.gmfus.org/news/nuclear....

I'm really looking forward to presenting some of my ongoing research on the politics of basing space infrastructure abroad using case studies from the Cold War.

Strategic Deterrence in the Information Age: Why China’s Approach is Different Since the 1990s, China has invested in non-nuclear systems for strategic deterrence. Over time, however, Beijing has learned more about the pitfalls of these information-age weapons and built up its…

Check out this @carnegieendowment.org discussion with @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social, author of Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International Security: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/....

SSP research affiliate @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social joins a panel of experts to discuss the history & the current trajectory of China’s nuclear arsenal in this recent episode of The Arms Control Poseur for the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
🔊Listen now: www.iiss.org/podcasts/arm...

Brady-Johnson Book Series: Fiona Cunningham - Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs The Grand Strategy Program continues its spring book series with political scientist Fiona Cunningham’s new book, Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International Security…

Tomorrow (3/27) at 5 pm EDT: Join the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs in welcoming @fiona-cunningham.bsky.social to discuss her new book, Under the Nuclear Shadow. She will be in conversation w/Alex Debs.

Learn more:

Brady-Johnson Book Series: Fiona Cunningham - Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs The Grand Strategy Program continues its spring book series with political scientist Fiona Cunningham’s new book, Under the Nuclear Shadow: China’s Information-Age Weapons in International Security (P...

On Thursday I’ll be in conversation with Alexandre Debs about my new @princetonupress.bsky.social book “Under the Nuclear Shadow” at Yale. Thanks to the Nuclear Security Program and the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy for hosting me! jackson.yale.edu/jackson-even...