Verification and Monitoring projects

Exploratory UK-China scholary exchange

Funder
Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Background
This project established a new Track II dialogue between UK and Chinese officials and scholars, in partnership with the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA). The dialogue aimed to shape debate on CBRN security through academic/NGO exchange, establishing relationships and building trust between verification communities in two countries towards the establishment of one or more joint UK-China technical projects.
The exchange built strong links and scientific and policy relationships between scholars in the UK and China—in both the NGO and public sector communities—while also advancing knowledge in the chosen area. The project generated a wealth of expert-level exchange and information on safeguards verification and nuclear security; detector technologies; best practices in nuclear assistance; compliance issues in chemical and biological weapons; training in chemical weapons removal; information barrier technology; chain of custody; risk assessment; and quantum technologies. The groups also conducted interactive exercises on key concepts and terminology across the weapons classes through interactive break-out groups.

The exchange successfully identified a number of collaborative technical projects for which funding support is currently being sought.