the U.S. and the Soviet Union would be replaced by an atomic weapons race including medium and small countries.” 245 The main fear shared by the two superpowers was that if the seemingly small scale Sino-Indian conflict in 1962 had taken place with both sides having acquired nuclear weapons then it could escalate to a nuclear war. The Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NNPT) signed by the U.S., Soviet Union and over 40 other countries in 1968 vowed to limit the expansion of states with nuclear capabilities. 246 The treaty bolstered Soviet-American nuclear relations and furthermore relieved tension, as it was the first agreement between the countries with the ambition of solving nuclear weapons acquisition. By signing the treaty both nuclear weapon states vowed not to assist non-nuclear weapons states in gaining nuclear armament, this shows that international security started to take precedent over geopolitical rivalries. Mallard concludes, “The NNPT was the one treaty that crowned a global expansion of treaties a nd covenants.” 247 China, whilst actively rejecting conforming to the nuclear club did not sign the NNPT. Beijing saw the treaty as an unfair monopolisation by the U.S. and USSR and in November 1966 issued a statement of analysis claiming, “the treaty is abso lutely unjust and unfair to the other countries of the world.” 248 The PRC saw itself as the outsider nuclear power, fighting amongst the giants of the U.S. and the USSR on behalf of the smaller states. This is made apparent in a statement made by Chinese Head of State Liu Shaoqi after initial successful testing; “All oppressed nations and all peoples in peace loving countries have felt elated over the successful explosions of China’s first atom bomb as they hold the 245 Ibid. 246 Gregoire Mallard, Crafting the Nuclear Regime Complex (1950-1975) : Dynamics of Harmonization in Opaque Treaty Rules. The European Journal of International Law Volume 25. Issue 2. 2014. Pp.448 247 Ibid, pp. 450. 248 Johnathan D. Pollak, Chinese attitudes towards Nuclear Weapons, 1964- 1969, The China Quarterly Issue 50. 1972, pp.258.
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