China denies Trump’s claim of secret nuclear tests, urges US to contribute to global stability

China has denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that it is secretly conducting nuclear weapons tests, calling the claim “completely false”.

Responding to Trump’s remarks in an interview with CBS on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on Monday that Beijing was maintaining its self-defense nuclear strategy and following the moratorium on nuclear tests.

“As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a nuclear-armed state, China adheres to the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, maintains a self-defense nuclear strategy, and honors its commitment to suspend nuclear tests,” Mao said, as quoted by the Global Times. he said.

She added that China supports the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and called on the United States to “abide by its own obligations” under the same treaty. “We hope that the United States will also maintain its moratorium on nuclear tests and contribute to global stability.” he said.

In his interview, Trump claimed that many countries, including Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan, were already conducting nuclear tests, suggesting that the United States should continue its own testing program.

“Russia and China are testing, but they don’t talk about it. We are an open society. Other countries are testing. We are the only country that doesn’t test,” Trump said on CBS’s 60 Minutes program.

“We will test because they are testing, others are also testing. And certainly North Korea is also testing. Pakistan is also testing,” he added.

Trump made the remarks when asked about Russia’s decision to “detonate” more than 30 years after its last tests of advanced nuclear-capable systems, including the Poseidon underwater drone.

During the interview, Trump said, “You need to see how they work. The reason I say testing is because Russia announced that they will test. If you pay attention, North Korea is constantly testing. Other countries are testing. We are the only country that does not test. I do not want to be the only country that does not test.” Trump added, “We will test nuclear weapons like other countries.”

Trump also claimed that the United States has “more nuclear weapons than any other country,” adding that he had discussed denuclearization with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping: “We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times.” “Russia has a lot of nuclear weapons, and China will have a lot, too. It has some. It has a lot.”

Earlier Thursday, Trump announced the immediate resumption of nuclear weapons testing, citing Russia’s recent tests of advanced nuclear-capable systems; This indicates great tension between the two nuclear powers.

Before boarding Air Force One, Trump said denuclearization would be a “tremendous thing” but that resuming American nuclear testing after more than three decades was “appropriate.” These all look like nuclear tests, Trump told reporters, referring to Russia and China.

“We have more nuclear weapons than anyone else. We don’t test… but I think it’s appropriate that we do while others are testing,” he added.

He also stated that preparations for the test had already been made, without specifying the timing or location. Asked whether renewed testing would make the global nuclear environment more volatile, he said: “I think we’ve got that pretty well locked down.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law terminating the already defunct plutonium destruction agreement with the United States, which aimed to limit the production of nuclear weapons-grade material. The 2000 agreement required both countries to destroy 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium no longer needed for military purposes.

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)