Thomas DiNanno, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, has stated that Washington possesses information regarding China conducting secret nuclear tests in violation of the existing moratorium.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the diplomat made these remarks in a statement to RIA Novosti. DiNanno noted during the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva that the US government is aware of China's activities involving nuclear explosive tests with yields of hundreds of tons, as well as preparations for tests with specific yields.
According to the diplomat, the Chinese military attempted to conceal the explosions, recognizing that these tests violated their commitments under the moratorium. Furthermore, DiNanno stated that Beijing reduced the effectiveness of seismic monitoring to further hide the truth. He specified that one such test was carried out on June 22, 2020.
The accusations come amid heightened global scrutiny over nuclear non-proliferation and transparency. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which China has signed but not ratified, prohibits all nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposes. While major nuclear powers have observed a unilateral moratorium on such testing since the 1990s, the US has frequently raised concerns about the lack of transparency at China's Lop Nur testing site. These developments are expected to influence future arms control negotiations involving US President Donald Trump and international security frameworks.
