US Reveals Details of Alleged Chinese Nuclear Test, Calls for Global Disarmament Push

A top US arms control official disclosed new information about a suspected Chinese underground nuclear test from 2020, urging international pressure on China and Russia for nuclear disarmament. The revelations come as the last major nuclear treaty between the US and Russia has expired, raising concerns about a potential arms race.

GENEVA (AP) — A senior American arms control official on Monday released what he described as newly declassified information about a suspected Chinese underground nuclear test from nearly six years ago, calling on the international community to pressure Beijing and Moscow toward greater nuclear disarmament efforts.

Christopher Yeaw, who serves as assistant secretary of state for arms control and nonproliferation, addressed a United Nations-supported forum following this month’s expiration of the final nuclear weapons agreement between America and Russia. The treaty’s end has removed restrictions on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, sparking fears of a renewed arms competition.

Yeaw demanded increased openness from China while highlighting weaknesses in the expired New START agreement, including its failure to cover Russia’s extensive collection of tactical nuclear weapons — estimated at up to 2,000 warheads.

“But perhaps its greatest flaw was that New START did not account for the unprecedented, deliberate, rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup by China,” he told the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament.

According to Yeaw, Beijing “has deliberately, and without constraint, massively expanded its nuclear arsenal” contrary to its public statements. He expressed concern over the lack of clarity regarding China’s ultimate objectives or “endpoint.”

“We believe China may achieve parity within the next four or five years,” he said.

China has resisted any limitations on its smaller yet expanding nuclear stockpile and continues to deny conducting such nuclear testing.

Yeaw held discussions Monday with Russian representatives and planned to meet with Chinese and additional delegations Tuesday in Geneva. American officials have already conducted multiple sessions with allies, including nuclear powers France and Britain.

During his remarks, Yeaw referenced a blast registered at China’s Lop Nur underground facility in the western region as a 2.75 magnitude seismic occurrence on June 22, 2020, according to data gathered from an international monitoring network station in nearby Kazakhstan.

“It was a probable explosion based upon comparisons between historic explosions and earthquakes,” he said. “The seismic signals were indicative of a single fire explosion, not typical of mining explosions.”

Yeaw stated that China has made monitoring its testing operations “difficult” for the global community and that during negotiations, Beijing refused to permit seismic monitoring equipment at distances comparable to what America allows near its Nevada test facility.

China’s representative to the conference responded Monday that Beijing “resolutely rejects the unfounded accusations” from the US and criticized the “continued distortion and smearing of China’s nuclear policy by certain countries.”

“The U.S. accusation that China conducted a nuclear explosion test is completely unfounded and is merely a pretext for resuming its own nuclear testing,” Ambassador Jian Shen said. “The U.S.’s practice of smearing other countries to evade international arms control obligations seriously damages its own international standing.”

President Donald Trump indicated in October America’s intentions to restart nuclear testing for the first time since 1992, though Energy Secretary Chris Wright subsequently clarified such tests would not involve nuclear detonations.

During his initial presidency, Trump unsuccessfully attempted to establish a three-nation nuclear agreement including China.

Following the New START treaty’s expiration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated America was “pursuing all avenues” to achieve Trump’s “desire for a world with fewer of these awful weapons,” while emphasizing Washington would not remain passive as Russia and China build up their nuclear capabilities.

“Since 2020, China has increased its nuclear weapons stockpile from the low 200s to more than 600 and is on pace to have more than 1,000 warheads by 2030,” Rubio wrote on Substack this month.

America has indicated willingness to explore various diplomatic approaches to address the issue — whether through bilateral discussions, small group negotiations, or broader international talks.

“We are looking to all of you to help encourage nuclear-weapon states like China and Russia to engage meaningfully in a multilateral process,” Yeaw told the conference, which includes approximately 65 nations addressing nuclear, biological and chemical weapons issues.

Shen emphasized that China has continuously backed the objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, “always adhered” to commitments by the five nuclear weapon states to halt nuclear testing and “never” participated in activities violating the agreement.

He also noted that Beijing, despite its recent extensive military expansion, maintains a smaller nuclear arsenal than America or Russia and called it “unfair, unreasonable and unfeasible” to expect China to participate in three-way nuclear arms control discussions.

“China’s nuclear arsenal is not on the same scale as the country with the largest nuclear arsenal, and the strategic security environment faced by China’s nuclear policy is completely different from that of the U.S.,” Shen said.