US Charges China with Violating Test Ban via Secret 2020 Nuclear Explosions
The US alleges China hid nuclear explosive tests in 2020, violating commitments post-Galwan.
The United States has accused China of conducting a secret nuclear test in June 2020, days after the deadly Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops, an allegation that Beijing has strongly denied.
The charge was made by the US at a Disarmament Conference in Geneva following the expiry of the New START Treaty, a key nuclear arms control agreement between Washington and Moscow. The treaty, signed in 2010 by then US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, placed limits on missile launchers and deployed nuclear warheads.
US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno claimed that China carried out nuclear explosive tests on June 22, 2020, shortly after the clash in eastern Ladakh that killed 20 Indian soldiers. He alleged that the tests involved “designated yields in the hundreds of tons” and were deliberately obscured to avoid detection.
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According to DiNanno, the Chinese military attempted to conceal the tests by creating confusion around the explosions, suggesting that Beijing was aware such actions violated its commitments under international nuclear test ban norms. The accusations highlighted growing tensions between Washington and Beijing at a sensitive moment for global nuclear arms control.
China rejected the allegations, maintaining that it remains committed to a moratorium on nuclear testing and accusing the US of making politically motivated claims. Beijing has repeatedly stated that it abides by international obligations related to nuclear non-proliferation.
The controversy comes as US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in preserving limits on nuclear arsenals while pushing for China to be included in any future arms control framework, expanding beyond the traditional US–Russia bilateral structure.
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