America Accuses China of Secret Underground Nuclear Test and Beijing Responds
A senior U.S. official revealed new details about a secret Chinese nuclear test conducted in 2020, describing it as an unusual "underground explosion," based on monitoring by an international station in Kazakhstan.
The official confirmed that China has rapidly and secretly expanded its nuclear arsenal, emphasizing the need for greater international transparency.
* Details of the Test and Explosion
Christopher Yao, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, stated at a UN-backed conference that the explosion occurred at the Lop Nur site in western China on June 22, 2020, resulting in an earthquake measuring 2.75 on the Richter scale.
He added that the seismic signals indicate a single explosion, which is unusual for conventional explosions such as mining, raising suspicions that it was a secret nuclear test.
* U.S. Concerns Over a New Arms Race
Yao spoke after the expiration of the last nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia, warning that the end of constraints on major nuclear arsenals could ignite a new arms race.
He confirmed that the "New START" treaty did not adequately address Russia's massive stockpile of non-strategic nuclear weapons, which amounts to around two thousand warheads, nor did it keep pace with China's rapid expansion of nuclear capabilities.
He noted that Beijing has expanded its nuclear arsenal "massively, deliberately, and without constraints," suggesting that China could achieve nuclear parity within 4 to 5 years, warning of a lack of transparency regarding its ultimate goals.
* Chinese Response to the Accusations
For its part, China completely denied these accusations, with Ambassador Jian Shen stating at the conference:
"The U.S. accusations are baseless and merely a pretext to resume nuclear testing."
He criticized what he described as the "distortion of China's nuclear policy" by some countries, asserting that such practices harm the international standing of the United States.
* Steps Towards a New Treaty
In related news, the "Reuters" agency reported that talks will be held between the United States and China aimed at establishing a multilateral treaty to limit nuclear weapons.
A senior U.S. official also indicated that negotiations with Russia in Geneva continue to support a broader agreement involving China and Russia following the expiration of the "New START" treaty.
