On Tuesday, the Donald Trump administration detailed allegations that China secretly conducted an underground nuclear explosion in 2020.
Seismic Data Suggests Hidden Chinese Nuclear Test In 2020
Christopher Yeaw, head of the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation, said the event occurred on June 22, 2020, near China’s Lop Nur test site in Xinjiang, reported The Washington Post.
“We’re not going to remain at an intolerable disadvantage,” Yeaw said at the Hudson Institute in Washington.
He cited seismic readings from a facility in neighboring Kazakhstan that measured a magnitude 2.76 event, which he said did not resemble an earthquake or mining explosion.
Yeaw added that China likely used “decoupling” techniques to muffle the blast and obscure its yield, which remains unknown.
“We know that they were preparing designated tests of hundreds of tons,” he said.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which monitors nuclear explosions, confirmed detecting “two very small seismic events, 12 seconds apart” but said they were too small to determine their cause.
Trump Resumed US Nuclear Testing Amid China, Russia Threats
Last year, President Trump directed the Defense Department to resume full-scale nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 1992, marking a major shift in U.S. defense policy to counter Russia and China’s expanding arsenals.
He said the U.S. needed to test nuclear weapons on an equal basis with China and Russia and highlighting that America already had the world’s largest and most advanced stockpile, upgraded during his first term.
The announcement came hours before his meeting in South Korea with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first in-person encounter since 2019, and Trump declined to comment on the tests during the meeting.
Trump defended the decision, noting that China’s rapid nuclear growth and North Korea’s ongoing testing made it essential to ensure U.S. nuclear weapons remained functional.
He emphasized that the U.S. had become the only country not testing nuclear weapons and said he did not want to remain in that position.
Trump also noted that he had discussed denuclearization with both President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Tomas Ragina On Shutterstock.com
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