China has denied US allegations of covert nuclear testing after President Trump ordered plans to restart American tests. Here’s what each side said and what it means.
Sseema Giill
China has firmly denied accusations from US President Donald Trump that it has been conducting covert underground nuclear tests, hours after the US signaled plans to resume testing for the first time in more than three decades.
The diplomatic friction followed Trump’s comments in a 60 Minutes interview and posts on Truth Social on October 30, where he claimed China, Russia, North Korea and Pakistan were “testing underground” and that the United States must “respond equally” to ensure it does not fall behind.
The remarks were made just before Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea — turning what was expected to be a strategic dialogue into a tense, optics-driven encounter overshadowed by nuclear signaling.
China responded swiftly on November 3 through Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, calling the accusations “baseless” and reaffirming that China:
“China has always chosen the path of peaceful development,” she stated, emphasizing that Beijing has abided by international test-ban commitments even though the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) has never fully entered into force.
China also pointed out that its nuclear arsenal remains significantly smaller than those of the US and Russia — even as Western intelligence estimates say Beijing has doubled its warheads since 2020 and may cross 1,000 by 2030.
Trump framed the decision as a defensive move in a shifting nuclear environment, saying rivals were “testing where nobody knows.”
But within 24 hours, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued a clarifying statement: Washington will initially conduct non-explosive “subcritical” tests and advanced simulations, not full nuclear detonations.
Even with that clarification, the direction is clear: after 33 years of restraint, the US is preparing for a live-test capability again if required.
The last American nuclear test took place in 1992. China’s last test was in 1996.
The announcement comes amid:
Russia withdrew ratification of the CTBT in 2023, and most major powers now treat the treaty as symbolic rather than binding. None of the nine nuclear-armed states have ratified it fully.
For Trump, the move also reflects a broader shift: US strategy is no longer built on verification and treaties — but on deterrence and readiness.
While China rejects the claims outright, Trump’s remarks touch on a quieter debate in the non-proliferation community: detecting highly concealed, low-yield nuclear tests is getting harder.
A recent study from Los Alamos National Laboratory showed that earthquakes occurring near a small underground nuclear explosion can mask the seismic signature, reducing detection accuracy sharply.
No credible public evidence shows that China, Russia, Pakistan, or North Korea recently conducted a nuclear detonation — but detection uncertainty exists, and both governments know that.
This uneasy truth sits at the center of the confrontation:
denial cannot fully reassure, and accusation cannot fully prove.
The global nuclear landscape is shifting in ways not seen since the Cold War. The biggest risks ahead:
1. A new nuclear testing race
If the US conducts even a symbolic explosive test, Moscow and Beijing may feel compelled to follow.
2. Treaty erosion accelerates
The CTBT — once the backbone of nuclear restraint — now risks sliding into irrelevance.
3. Regional pressure rises
South Asia will feel the heat sharply. Trump’s reference to Pakistan has already triggered questions in New Delhi about strategic stability.
4. Technology adds ambiguity
AI-driven weapons systems and advanced simulations blur lines between testing, modeling, and operational readiness — making verification harder and suspicion easier.
The world has not returned to the era of mushroom clouds — but it has stepped back into a world where nuclear signaling has re-entered mainstream geopolitics.
For almost three decades, the global nuclear order rested on a simple assumption:
major powers would restrain themselves because treaties and verification systems made cheating too risky.
Today, it feels closer to the opposite:
states prepare for worst-case scenarios because they no longer trust verification or each other.
China denies testing. The US insists it must prepare as if rivals might.
Neither statement is new — what’s new is the world believing both can be true at once.
What happened?
The US accused China, Russia, North Korea, and Pakistan of secretly conducting nuclear tests. China denied it.
Who made the allegation?
US President Donald Trump in a CBS 60 Minutes interview and on Truth Social.
What did the US announce?
Trump directed the Pentagon to resume US nuclear testing after a 33-year halt.
How did China respond?
China said it has not tested nuclear weapons since 1996 and follows a no first-use policy.
Why is this significant?
It signals a new nuclear arms race and raises questions about global test-ban agreements.
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