China's Global Equity Oil Investments: Economic and Geopolitical Influences

In this article, we construct and analyze an original database of overseas Chinese equity oil investments (EOI) in order to assess the relative importance of economic and geopolitical factors in determining the type of countries that are most likely to receive those investments. We find that China's national oil companies (NOCs) choose to make considerable investments in certain oil rich countries while ignoring others. We develop and examine ‘economic opportunity’ and ‘geopolitical relevance’ explanations of Chinese EOI. The economic explanation assumes that Chinese oil companies operate autonomously despite the fact that they are state owned, and that they seek international experience in countries offering less competition but more risk. The geopolitical explanation suggests that Chinese equity oil investments are developed and coordinated by the central government as part of a geopolitical strategy that is designed to bypass the so-called ‘Malacca Dilemma’ and deepen security ties with oil-rich states through the conduct of oil diplomacy. We argue that Chinese EOI tends to reflect both corporate interests and government priorities, and that it generates more liabilities rather than benefits for China.     

China's Naval Ambitions in the Indian Ocean

This article argues that an increasingly sea-power-minded China will neither shelter passively in coastal waters, nor throw itself into competition with the United States in the Pacific Ocean. Rather, Beijing will direct its energies toward South and Southeast Asia, where supplies of oil, natural gas, and other commodities critical to China's economic development must pass. There China will encounter an equally sea-power-minded India that enjoys marked geostrategic advantages. Beijing will likely content itself with ‘soft power’ diplomacy in these regions until it can settle the dispute with Taiwan, freeing up resources for maritime endeavors farther from China's coasts.     

Deferred verification: the role of new verification technologies and approaches

ABSTRACT

Researchers have recently proposed a new approach to nuclear-arms-control verification, dubbed “deferred verification.” The concept forgoes inspections at sensitive nuclear sites and of nuclear weapons or components in classified form. To implement this concept, a state first divides its nuclear program into a closed segment and an open segment. The total fissile-material inventory in the closed segment, which includes the weapon complex, is known and declared with very high accuracy. Essentially no inspections take place in the closed segment. In contrast, inspectors have access to the open segment, which includes in particular the civilian nuclear sector. The fissile-material inventory in the open segment is known with less accuracy, but uncertainties can be reduced over time using nuclear-archaeology methods. Deferred verification relies primarily on established safeguards techniques and avoids many unresolved verification challenges, such as the need for information barriers for warhead confirmation measurements. At the same time, deferred verification faces some unique challenges. Here, we explore some of these challenges and offer possible solutions; to do so, we examine possible noncompliance strategies in which a state would seek to withhold a higher-than-declared inventory.     

CALLING FOR ACTION

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards are under more stress today than at any time in their history. Compliance concerns, a shortage of resources and technology, and growing responsibilities threaten to undermine the effectiveness and credibility of this vital and fundamental pillar of the nonproliferation regime. To address this challenge, the United States recently launched the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to ensure the IAEA makes the fullest possible use of its existing authority to prevent the diversion of safeguarded material and to investigate suspicious activities. The initiative will advance state-of-the-art technology, foster the development of a new generation of safeguards experts, and promote technology collaborations and safeguards-conscious infrastructure in states using or pursuing nuclear power. Although it has a domestic focus, the initiative's intent is to catalyze a much broader commitment to international safeguards in partnership with other governments and the IAEA.     

The Success of the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit and its Contribution to the Nonproliferation Regime

The 2014 Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in The Hague was a resounding success, both in organizational terms and in terms of substance. The new substance can be found in the Communiqué, as well as in innovative joint statements by participants, all of which may be considered as implementation of actions decided upon in the Final Document of the 2010 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The next two years in the NSS process cannot be business as usual. This viewpoint makes some suggestions for NSS states to undertake between now and the final summit in 2016, including preparations for winding down the NSS process as we know it.     

海洋能驱动航行器的能源最优航迹规划研究

无人水面航行器在航行过程中受到尺寸限制,只能携带有限的能源,而海洋中蕴含大量的能源,如果无人水面航行器在航行过程中能利用广泛分布的海洋能源,那么其续航能力将会显著提升.研究一种海洋能驱动航行器的能源最优航迹规划方法,使海洋能驱动航行器在航行过程中尽可能少地消耗能源,并尽可能多地利用海洋能.首先,选取我国南海部分海域作为...     

单板纳星电源系统能量平衡仿真

能量平衡是微纳卫星电源系统设计和考核的重要要求,在地面通常通过数值仿真进行评价。介绍单板纳星电源系统结构和特点;分别对太阳电池阵、蓄电池组和卫星负载进行数学建模;结合卫星姿态动力学进行能量平衡仿真,仿真结果可以实时反映卫星的功率变化、电池容量和能量平衡情况。电源系统在轨试验数据与仿真结果基本一致,证明所建模型是正确的,仿真方法有效。     

爆炸载荷作用下的船用吸能防护结构

重要舰船或舰船的重要部位采用吸能防护结构的必要性已逐渐被人们所认识和接受。防护结构性能好坏的主要指标是培构总能量吸收量和比耗能,本文分析了3种船用吸能防护结构在爆炸最荷作用下的破坏形式,给出了相应的能量吸收估算公式及计算蛄果,比较了等重量下不同防护结构的吸能量和比耗能,从而为船用吸能防护结构用于抗爆炸设计提供了依据和方法。     

舰船利用柴油机冷却水余热作吸收式制冷空调装置热源的研究

对某型舰利用６—１５０Ｃ柴油发电机冷却水余热作为低品位热源进行溴化锂吸收式制冷进行了热力计算和节能分析。计算及分析结果表明：利用６—１５０Ｃ柴油发电机组冷却水余热作为某型舰吸收式空调机组的热源是可行的,它不仅满足该型舰制冷量的要求,还具有明显的节能效果。     

填充式波纹夹层结构超高速撞击特性仿真

基于航天器空间碎片被动防护需求,对一种新型填充式波纹夹层结构进行超高速撞击仿真研究,分析超高速撞击过程以及结构的穿孔破坏情况和所形成的碎片云的特性,并与相同面密度Whipple结构进行对比。其撞击现象与Whipple结构相似,但其碎片云的头部速度小于Whipple结构,而径向膨胀最大速度和膨胀半角均大于Whipple结构。随撞击初速从3 km/s~10 km/s不断增大,波纹夹层结构的撞击穿孔尺寸变大,形状也更不规则。此外,结构中的填充树脂对碎片撞击能量的吸收贡献最大,后面板所吸收的能量所占比重较大,而前面板和波纹板对碎片撞击能量的吸收贡献较小。研究结果对空间碎片防护结构的设计具有一定的参考意义。