New Delhi: China has vehemently dismissed US accusations of conducting nuclear explosive tests, labelling the claims as entirely baseless and accusing Washington of being the primary threat to global nuclear stability.
The dispute erupted after Thomas G DiNanno, the US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, addressed the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He alleged that Beijing carried out nuclear explosive tests in June 2020, including preparations for tests yielding hundreds of tons.
DiNanno further claimed that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attempted to conceal these activities through methods like decoupling, which reduces the detectability of seismic signals from nuclear explosions. He specified a test on June 22, 2020, asserting that such actions breach international test ban commitments.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian hit back during a regular press briefing. He described the US position as a familiar tactic of distorting China’s nuclear policy to pursue supremacy and evade disarmament duties.
Lin turned the tables, declaring the United States as “the biggest source of disruption to the international nuclear order and global strategic stability.” He pointed to Washington’s decision to let the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) expire without renewal.
Signed in 2010 between the US and Russia, New START imposed limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems. Its lapse has raised alarms among arms control experts about a potential new arms race.
The spokesperson lambasted US nuclear doctrine, highlighting its first-use policy. He accused America of pouring trillions into modernising its nuclear triad—comprising land-based missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers.
Lin also criticised the US global missile defence system and forward deployments of strategic assets. These moves, he argued, upset the global strategic balance and threaten peace.
China rejected any double standards on non-proliferation, urging the US to shoulder its “special and primary responsibility” for disarmament given its vast arsenal. Beijing called for a renewed moratorium on testing alongside Russia and others.
Lin expressed hope for US-Russia dialogue on strategic stability post-New START. He dismissed the 2020 test allegation outright, warning against US pretexts for resuming its own nuclear testing.
This exchange underscores deepening tensions in nuclear diplomacy. It reflects broader geopolitical frictions, with each side accusing the other of undermining arms control norms amid rapid military advancements.
