China Hits Back at U.S. Nuclear Test Accusations
“The US has kept distorting and vilifying China’s nuclear policy as part of its political manipulation to seek nuclear hegemony,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.
Addressing the US accusations, Lin said the claim that China conducted nuclear explosive tests in 2020 “has no factual ground at all.”
“China opposes the US fabricating pretext for its own attempt to resume nuclear tests,” he added.
The comments follow remarks by Thomas DiNanno, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, at a disarmament forum in Geneva last week. DiNanno asserted that China “conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons.”
“China has used decoupling -- a method to decrease the effectiveness of seismic monitoring -- to hide its activities from the world. China conducted one such yield producing nuclear test on June 22, 2020,” DiNanno said.
Lin dismissed the allegation, accusing Washington of deflecting responsibility for nuclear disarmament onto others, a move China “firmly rejects.”
“Let me stress that the US is the biggest disruptor to international nuclear order and global strategic stability,” he said.
Referring to the expiration last week of the New START treaty between the US and Russia, Lin criticized Washington for inaction, which he said undermined trust among major powers and dealt “a severe blow to global strategic stability.”
He also accused the US of pursuing a first-use nuclear policy, investing trillions in modernizing its nuclear triad, constructing a global missile defense system, deploying strategic assets, and applying double standards on nuclear nonproliferation.
“These moves seriously disrupt global strategic balance and stability and undermine international and regional peace and security,” Lin said.
Lin expressed hope that the US would resume talks with Russia on strategic stability to discuss post-treaty arrangements.
The US allegations follow President Donald Trump’s October order for the American military to immediately restart nuclear weapons testing.
However, the claims have been challenged by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). Its executive secretary, Robert Floyd, told media last Friday that the monitoring system “did not detect any event consistent with the characteristics of a nuclear weapon test explosion” at the time cited by the US.
“The assessment remains unchanged after further detailed analyses,” Floyd said.
Both China and the US have signed, but not ratified, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which prohibits explosive nuclear tests. Russia ratified the treaty but withdrew in 2023.
China’s last underground nuclear test occurred on July 29, 1996, while the US conducted its last test on Sept. 23, 1992.
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