US nuclear testing debate reignites after State Dept alleges China nuclear test
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
The State Department’s allegation that China conducted a yield-producing nuclear test in 2020 is reigniting debate in Washington over whether the United States can continue its decades-long moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.
U.S. officials warned that Beijing may be preparing tests in the "hundreds of tons" range — a scale that underscores China’s accelerating nuclear modernization and complicates efforts to draw Beijing into arms control talks.
TRUMP SAYS US WILL RESTART NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS, BLAMES RIVALS’ ACTIONS AFTER XI MEETING
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno said recently that the United States has evidence China conducted an explosive nuclear test at its Lop Nur site.
"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 tons," DiNanno said during remarks at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
He added that "China conducted one such yield-producing nuclear test on June 22 of 2020."
DiNanno also accused Beijing of using "decoupling" — detonating devices in ways that dampen seismic signals — to "hide its activities from the world."
China’s foreign ministry has denied the allegations, accusing Washington of politicizing nuclear issues and reiterating that Beijing maintains a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.
But the accusation has sharpened questions about verification, deterrence and whether the U.S. stockpile stewardship program — which relies on advanced simulations rather than live detonations — remains sufficient in an era of renewed great-power nuclear competition.
Detecting small underground nuclear tests has long been one of the thorniest problems in arms control.
Unlike the massive atmospheric detonations of the Cold War, modern nuclear tests are conducted deep underground. If a country uses so-called "decoupling" techniques — detonating a device inside a large underground cavity to muffle the seismic shock — the resulting signal can be significantly reduced, making it harder to distinguish from natural seismic activity.
That vulnerability has been debated for decades in discussions over the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which China signed but never ratified. Even a relatively small underground detonation can provide valuable weapons data while remaining difficult to detect.
"If you detonate a device inside a large underground cavity, you can significantly attenuate the seismic signature," said Chuck DeVore, chief national initiatives officer …
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
The State Department’s allegation that China conducted a yield-producing nuclear test in 2020 is reigniting debate in Washington over whether the United States can continue its decades-long moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.
U.S. officials warned that Beijing may be preparing tests in the "hundreds of tons" range — a scale that underscores China’s accelerating nuclear modernization and complicates efforts to draw Beijing into arms control talks.
TRUMP SAYS US WILL RESTART NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS, BLAMES RIVALS’ ACTIONS AFTER XI MEETING
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno said recently that the United States has evidence China conducted an explosive nuclear test at its Lop Nur site.
"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 tons," DiNanno said during remarks at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
He added that "China conducted one such yield-producing nuclear test on June 22 of 2020."
DiNanno also accused Beijing of using "decoupling" — detonating devices in ways that dampen seismic signals — to "hide its activities from the world."
China’s foreign ministry has denied the allegations, accusing Washington of politicizing nuclear issues and reiterating that Beijing maintains a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.
But the accusation has sharpened questions about verification, deterrence and whether the U.S. stockpile stewardship program — which relies on advanced simulations rather than live detonations — remains sufficient in an era of renewed great-power nuclear competition.
Detecting small underground nuclear tests has long been one of the thorniest problems in arms control.
Unlike the massive atmospheric detonations of the Cold War, modern nuclear tests are conducted deep underground. If a country uses so-called "decoupling" techniques — detonating a device inside a large underground cavity to muffle the seismic shock — the resulting signal can be significantly reduced, making it harder to distinguish from natural seismic activity.
That vulnerability has been debated for decades in discussions over the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which China signed but never ratified. Even a relatively small underground detonation can provide valuable weapons data while remaining difficult to detect.
"If you detonate a device inside a large underground cavity, you can significantly attenuate the seismic signature," said Chuck DeVore, chief national initiatives officer …
US nuclear testing debate reignites after State Dept alleges China nuclear test
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
The State Department’s allegation that China conducted a yield-producing nuclear test in 2020 is reigniting debate in Washington over whether the United States can continue its decades-long moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.
U.S. officials warned that Beijing may be preparing tests in the "hundreds of tons" range — a scale that underscores China’s accelerating nuclear modernization and complicates efforts to draw Beijing into arms control talks.
TRUMP SAYS US WILL RESTART NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS, BLAMES RIVALS’ ACTIONS AFTER XI MEETING
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno said recently that the United States has evidence China conducted an explosive nuclear test at its Lop Nur site.
"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 tons," DiNanno said during remarks at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
He added that "China conducted one such yield-producing nuclear test on June 22 of 2020."
DiNanno also accused Beijing of using "decoupling" — detonating devices in ways that dampen seismic signals — to "hide its activities from the world."
China’s foreign ministry has denied the allegations, accusing Washington of politicizing nuclear issues and reiterating that Beijing maintains a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.
But the accusation has sharpened questions about verification, deterrence and whether the U.S. stockpile stewardship program — which relies on advanced simulations rather than live detonations — remains sufficient in an era of renewed great-power nuclear competition.
Detecting small underground nuclear tests has long been one of the thorniest problems in arms control.
Unlike the massive atmospheric detonations of the Cold War, modern nuclear tests are conducted deep underground. If a country uses so-called "decoupling" techniques — detonating a device inside a large underground cavity to muffle the seismic shock — the resulting signal can be significantly reduced, making it harder to distinguish from natural seismic activity.
That vulnerability has been debated for decades in discussions over the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which China signed but never ratified. Even a relatively small underground detonation can provide valuable weapons data while remaining difficult to detect.
"If you detonate a device inside a large underground cavity, you can significantly attenuate the seismic signature," said Chuck DeVore, chief national initiatives officer …
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