US alleges China is conducting hidden nuclear tests, urges for a wider arms control agreement

U.S. Accuses China of Secret Nuclear Testing

On Wednesday, the U.S. accused China of carrying out at least one undisclosed nuclear test, as Washington seeks a new arms control agreement that includes China, along with Russia and itself.

During a speech at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Thomas DiNanno, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, stated, “We can make it clear that we know that China has conducted a nuclear test.”

DiNanno further claimed that China employed “decoupling” to obscure its activities from international scrutiny, referencing a similar experiment allegedly conducted by Beijing on June 22, 2020, amidst widespread global lockdowns due to COVID-19.

In response to DiNanno’s comments, China’s disarmament ambassador, Shen Jian, avoided directly addressing the accusations, asserting instead that the U.S. was overstating the “so-called Chinese nuclear threat.” He suggested that such statements contribute to an escalating arms race.

This assertion from the U.S. follows the expiration of the New START Treaty with Russia, which had been in effect since 2010. With this treaty now lapsed, neither side has a formal agreement controlling the deployment of strategic missiles and nuclear warheads, marking a significant shift since the SALT agreements of the 1970s.

“Currently, the United States is faced with threats from multiple nuclear powers. Solely negotiating with one country is, frankly, not suitable after 2026,” DiNanno cautioned, highlighting forecasts indicating that China could possess over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.

In light of these developments, Shen asserted that China would not engage in trilateral discussions at this time, calling for the U.S. to leave behind “Cold War” mentalities in favor of a collaborative security approach.

Meanwhile, talks regarding the situation in Ukraine were taking place between U.S. and Russian negotiators in the United Arab Emirates, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirming that discussions were centered on the need for each side to adopt a responsible stance moving forward.