News Desk
WASHINGTON: The United States has accused China of conducting secret nuclear tests in June 2020, just days after clashes between India and China in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh. The allegation was made during a global arms control conference in Geneva, prompting a sharp response from Beijing.
Thomas DiNanno, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, told the UN Conference on Disarmament in Switzerland that the US government had evidence China carried out nuclear explosions, including preparations equivalent to hundreds of tons of explosive power. He alleged that China attempted to conceal the tests because they violated commitments on nuclear testing, using a method called “decoupling” to prevent the shockwaves from being detected. DiNanno specifically cited a nuclear test conducted by China on 22 June 2020.
After the conference, he repeated the US stance on social media, warning that the current nuclear control regime has weakened following the expiration of the New START treaty. According to the official, one nuclear power is rapidly expanding its capabilities, while another is developing systems outside the scope of existing agreements.
The New START treaty, signed in 2010 between the US and Russia, expired in early February 2026. Its termination is seen as a major setback for global nuclear arms control. Previously, Russia had also withdrawn its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 2023.
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