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Beijing Denies US Claims of Nuclear Tests in China

Beijing Denies US AccusesClaims China of Nuclear Tests; Beijingin Denies ClaimsChina

Is China secretly testing nuclear weapons or is the US fabricating claims to justify its own nuclear expansion?
Beijing Denies US Claims of Nuclear Tests in China
Above: People's Liberation Army (PLA) DF-5C liquid-fueled intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2025. Image credit: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

It's clear China conducted a nuclear test in 2020, with seismic data from Kazakhstan showing a 2.75-magnitude explosion that can only be explained as a singular detonation. The U.S. cannot tolerate this intolerable disadvantage and must resume testing on an equal basis to match the secret explosions conducted by China and Russia. Allowing adversaries to advance their nuclear capabilities through covert testing while America remains bound by outdated restrictions puts national security at unacceptable risk.

American accusations of Chinese nuclear testing are completely groundless fabrications designed to justify resuming tests and evade disarmament responsibilities. The United States remains the biggest disruptor of the international nuclear order, letting New START expire, upgrading its nuclear triad with trillions of dollars and applying double standards on nonproliferation. Washington should fulfill its special responsibility for nuclear disarmament instead of manufacturing pretexts for nuclear hegemony.

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 70% chance that China will reach 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0