China conducted ‘secret nuclear test’ days after Galwan clash, says US
The timing of the alleged test, announced by Washington at a global disarmament forum, is likely to sharpen strategic concerns in New Delhi over China’s military posture during one of the most volatile phases of the India-China border crisis in decades.
US accusation; China’s response
“I can reveal that the US government is aware that China is conducting nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with specified yields of hundreds of tons,” Thomas DiNanno, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
He added that the Chinese military “tried to conceal the tests by hiding nuclear explosions because it realized that these tests violated its test ban commitments.” “China has used ‘decoupling’, a method that reduces the effectiveness of seismic monitoring, to hide its activities from the world.”
Beijing conducted such a “yield-producing test” on June 22, 2020, DiNanno said.
China did not directly address the specific allegation.
Disarmament envoy Shen Jian said Beijing “has always acted prudently and responsibly in nuclear matters” and accused Washington of exaggerating the threats.
“China states that the United States continues to exaggerate the so-called Chinese nuclear threat. China firmly opposes such false narratives,” Shen said and added: “The United States is to blame for the escalation of the arms race.”
Arms control flashpoint
The accusation comes at a critical juncture for global nuclear stability, a day after the expiration of the 2010 New START treaty, which placed limits on U.S. and Russian strategic missile and warhead deployments.
With the agreement expiring, Washington and Moscow’s binding nuclear boundaries will disappear for the first time in more than half a century, raising fears of a resumption of arms competition.
DiNanno argued that the changing threat landscape made old bilateral arrangements inadequate.
“Today, the United States faces the threat of multiple nuclear powers. In short, a bilateral agreement with only a single nuclear power is completely inappropriate in 2026 and beyond,” he said.
The U.S. projects China’s nuclear arsenal could exceed 1,000 warheads by 2030, but Beijing argues it has far fewer warheads (around 600 compared to about 4,000 for the U.S. and Russia each) and refuses to participate in trilateral talks for now.
strategic gap
What security analysts know Reuters They warn that the absence of New START creates a dangerous strategic vacuum reminiscent of the uncertainty of the early Cold War, when fears of miscalculation among the nuclear powers were at their peak.
If a new agreement does not emerge, major powers may be forced to expand their arsenals based on worst-case assumptions, especially as China rapidly modernizes its nuclear capabilities.
While Russia has signaled its readiness for dialogue with Washington on future arms control, it is also preparing for all kinds of scenarios. Britain and France have backed calls for a new multilateral framework that includes China, citing concerns about Beijing’s expanding arsenal and the broader weakening of nuclear norms.
The Galwan clash marked the first conflict deaths on the India-China border in 45 years, triggering prolonged military standoffs, rapid force mobilization and a permanent deterioration in bilateral relations.
