China has issued a forceful rebuttal against United States accusations regarding clandestine nuclear weapons testing, dismissing the claims as baseless falsehoods. The diplomatic confrontation unfolded during proceedings at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, where Thomas DiNanno, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, presented allegations on February 6th that China had conducted secret nuclear explosive tests, including one specific incident dated June 22, 2020, while preparing for additional high-yield experiments.
In an official statement released through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 9th, China characterized the US position as completely unfounded and accused Washington of manufacturing pretexts to justify its own potential resumption of nuclear testing. The Chinese government emphasized its firm opposition to these allegations while urging American leadership to cease what it described as irresponsible behavior that undermines global non-proliferation efforts.
The exchange occurs against the backdrop of expiring nuclear arms control agreements. DiNanno’s presentation coincided with the US proposal for trilateral negotiations involving Russia and China to establish new limitations on nuclear arsenals. This initiative follows the termination of the New START treaty—the last remaining nuclear arms control pact between the United States and Russia, which formally lapsed on February 5th.
China has maintained a consistent position regarding multilateral disarmament talks, having previously declined participation in such negotiations at this juncture. The current tensions reflect broader geopolitical strains, particularly following October statements by President Donald Trump indicating Washington’s intention to resume nuclear testing “on an equal basis” with Moscow and Beijing, though without providing specific details regarding the nature or scope of such potential tests.