China on Monday rejected U.S. allegations that it had conducted secret nuclear explosive tests, calling the claims “outright lies” and accusing Washington of fabricating excuses to resume its own trials.
At the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Friday, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, Thomas DiNanno, accused China of carrying out tests, including one on June 22, 2020, and of preparing for additional tests with massive yields.
“The U.S. allegations are completely groundless and are outright lies. China firmly opposes the U.S. attempt to fabricate excuses for its own restarting of nuclear tests,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to AFP on Monday. The ministry also urged the United States to “immediately stop its irresponsible actions.”
The allegations come amid U.S. plans for three-way nuclear arms talks with Russia and China, aimed at setting new limits after the expiration of New START—the last treaty limiting strategic nuclear weapons between Washington and Moscow. China has already refused to join disarmament negotiations “at this stage.”
U.S. President Donald Trump previously announced plans to resume nuclear testing “on an equal basis” with Moscow and Beijing, though he did not provide details on the scope or type of tests.
