The US said a nuclear arms agreement must include China, amid allegations that Beijing is secretly conducting secret nuclear tests.
“I can reveal that the U.S. government is aware that China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tonnes,” said Thomas Dinanno, Under State Secretary, Arms Control and International Security.
He said the Chinese military hid their testing by decreasing the effectiveness of scientific monitoring.
U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a new treaty that must also include China as the U.S. faces growing threats not from just one, but two nuclear powers.
Beijing pushed back on Trump’s suggestion.
China’s ambassador on disarmament said his country would not participate in new negotiations at this stage with the U.S. and Russia.
Russia’s foreign minister said the country prefers dialogue with the U.S., but it is also ready for any scenario.
U.S.’ treaty with Russia to curb nuclear arms expired on Thursday.
For the first time since the 70s, there’s no cap on the number of nuclear weapons the U.S. and Russia can deploy.
“China remains on track to have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, and Russia is supporting this buildup by helping China develop the weapons-grade fissile material necessary for its expansion,” Dinanno added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday, “Russia and China should not expect the United States to stand still while they shirk their obligations and expand their nuclear forces. We will maintain a robust, credible, and modernized nuclear deterrent.”
Last year, Trump ordered the War Department to begin testing nuclear weapons.
Notably, the order came less than an hour before his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea.
Trump said China, Russia and North Korea have been testing nuclear weapons, and he did not want the U.S. to be the only country that does not test.
Last year, the Washington Post reported China has been rapidly expanding a historic nuclear test site.
“In far western Xinjiang, satellite imagery and expert analysis show that China is rapidly expanding a historic nuclear test site, where it conducted its first atomic bomb test in 1964,” Washington Post said.
It also reported that Beijing has “quietly carved new tunnels, hollowed out explosive chambers and built support facilities that researchers say suggest preparations for nuclear testing.”
“Altogether, this represents a dramatic expansion of infrastructure and dramatic expansion of overall testing capability at Lop Nur in the last five years,” according to Renny Babiarz, Vice President of Analysis and Operations for AllSource Analysis, the report added.
