Tensions between the US and China over nuclear weapons have escalated again. US officials have alleged that China conducted a secret nuclear test six years ago in 2020. Christopher Yew, Assistant Secretary of State for the Interior, said on Monday that an explosion occurred at the underground nuclear test center in Lop Nur, located in western China, on June 22, 2020. The explosion, measuring 2.75 magnitude, was reported from a station in neighboring Kazakhstan. Yew described it as a nuclear explosion. He said the earthquakes were different from mining explosions, but rather resembled a single fire explosion, a characteristic of a nuclear test. Yew stated that China has deliberately increased its nuclear force. He stated that since 2020, China’s nuclear weapons have increased from 200 to more than 600. It is estimated that this number will reach over 1,000 by 2030. US claims China is expanding its nuclear arsenal This claim comes at a time when the New START Treaty, the last major nuclear agreement between the US and Russia, expired this month. With the expiration of this treaty, the limits on the arsenals of the world’s two largest nuclear powers are removed, raising fears of a new nuclear arms race. The US is now demanding transparency and limits on dangerous weapons from China and Russia, while China calls these allegations baseless. Addressing the UN-backed disarmament conference in Geneva, Ye said that the New START Agreement’s biggest shortcoming was that it did not cover China’s rapidly expanding and secretive nuclear program. Trump wants a three-way agreement between the US, Russia, and China. In recent years, there have been several international disputes over nuclear weapons. In 2010, the US and Russia signed the New START Treaty, which limited the number of strategic nuclear weapons in both countries. Under this treaty, both countries were required to limit their nuclear warheads to 1,550 and also restricted the number of missiles and bombers. This treaty did not cover Russia’s non-strategic nuclear weapons, such as short-range weapons. During his first term, Trump attempted a three-way nuclear agreement between the United States, Russia, and China, but it failed. Trump also talked about resuming US nuclear testing in 2020, though it later clarified that this would not include explosive tests. The United States has not conducted any nuclear tests since 1992. China alleges that the US wants to resume testing itself. China has categorically rejected these allegations. At the conference, Chinese Ambassador Jian Shen said that the US’s claims are completely false and are a pretext for the US to resume testing itself. He stressed that China has always adhered to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and has not conducted any tests, in accordance with the commitments of the five nuclear powers (the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK). China says its nuclear stockpile is not as large as that of the US or Russia, so the demand for three-way talks is misplaced. He explained that China’s strategic position is different and it possesses nuclear weapons solely for defense. Tong Zhao, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said that if China indeed conducted a test, its image as a responsible nuclear power could be tarnished and could give the US an opportunity to resume testing. Trump is pressuring other countries. The US is now increasing international pressure on this issue. At the conference, Yew urged other countries to pressure China and Russia to join multilateral talks. The US has met with representatives from Russia and China and is continuing discussions with allies like France and Britain. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US wants fewer nuclear weapons in the world, but will not stand idly by in the face of China and Russia’s growth. This entire issue could pose a major threat to global security. If nuclear tests resume, an arms race could intensify. Experts believe that only transparency and dialogue can resolve this problem. Trump has ordered nuclear weapons testing. Trump himself has ordered the Defense Department (Pentagon) to immediately begin nuclear weapons testing by the end of 2025. He stated that this testing should be comparable to that of China and Russia. The US last conducted a nuclear test on September 23, 1992. This was America’s 1,030th test. The test was conducted at the Nevada Test Site, 2,300 feet below the Rainier Mesa mountain, to prevent radiation from spreading. It was codenamed Divider. The explosion was so powerful that the underlying rocks melted. The ground surface rose approximately 1 foot and then sank. A crater 150 meters wide and 10 meters deep is still visible. China is developing 100 new nuclear weapons every year. The world’s nine nuclear-armed countries are continuously expanding their nuclear capabilities. China is doing this at the fastest pace, adding an average of 100 new warheads to its stockpile every year. It now possesses at least 600 nuclear warheads. This information is provided in the latest report of the Sweden-based think tank SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute). SIPRI’s annual report states that, in addition to China, countries like the United States, Russia, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel are also modernizing their nuclear weapons. India currently possesses 180 nuclear warheads, up from 172 in 2023. This means that India has also made a slight increase in its capabilities. SIPRI believes that India is now developing canisterized missile technology, which allows missiles to be deployed even before a war. Russia tested the world’s first nuclear-powered cruise missile. In October 2025, Russia successfully tested the world’s first nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Burevstnik-9M739. It is claimed that this missile has unlimited range. President Vladimir Putin stated that all tests have been completed. No country in the world possesses such a missile. Many experts previously didn’t believe such a weapon was possible, but it has become a reality. No defense system can stop it. Russian Army Chief Valery Gerasimov stated that the Burevestnik flew for approximately 15 hours during the test, covering a distance of 14,000 kilometers. Nuclear Weapons Testing Has Caused 6.9 Lakh Deaths in the US
Some US lawmakers believe that if the US does not conduct nuclear tests again, its nuclear arsenal could be weakened. However, scientists say that modern technology can be used to verify the condition of weapons and keep them safe even without detonation. According to a 2017 study by University of Arizona economist Keith Meyers, approximately 6.9 lakh American citizens died or suffered serious health effects due to radiation from these nuclear tests. So far, only North Korea has conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century. America and South Korea have been continuously pressurizing Kim Jong Un to give up nuclear weapons and move towards a peaceful agreement. ————————– Read this news too… Trump’s emergency tariff recovery to stop from today: Trump’s threat to the countries that backed out from the agreement, said- don’t play games, I will impose higher tariffs. The US government will stop the recovery of emergency tariffs imposed by President Trump from today. At the same time, US President Donald Trump has warned the countries that backed out from the tariff agreement on Monday. Read the full news…
