US Hints at Resuming Nuclear Tests, Says Russia, China Expanding Arsenal

The world could be on the verge of another Nuclear arms race, last seen during World War II, with the New START treaty coming to an end and the US levelling accusations against China of secretly conducting nuclear explosive tests. With the principle of Mutually Assured Destruction in mind, all countries, small and big, racing to increase their nuclear arsenal could be a reality very soon.

The US said that China conducted nuclear tests, while deliberately using techniques designed to evade global monitoring systems, which has raised fresh concerns over nuclear transparency and global security.

US Under Secretary of State Thomas G DiNanno said Beijing employed a method known as decouplinga technique that significantly weakens seismic signals to conceal nuclear test activity from international detection mechanisms. According to him, one such test was carried out on June 22, 2020, producing a measurable explosive yield.

The timing of the alleged test has drawn attention as it occurred days after the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops, in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives. Intelligence assessments had indicated heavy casualties on the Chinese side as well, though Beijing never officially acknowledged the numbers.

Almost all of the US deployed nuclear forces were subject to New START, while only a fraction of Russia's much larger stockpile was. Exactly zero Chinese nuclear weapons were covered by New START, the US official said.

The US official argued that existing nuclear arms agreements no longer reflect current global realities. Referring to the New START treaty, signed in 2010 between the United States and Russia, DiNanno said its limitations will become obsolete after 2026, particularly as China rapidly expands its nuclear arsenal at an unprecedented pace.

He noted that while nearly all US nuclear deployments were covered under New START, only a portion of Russia’s stockpile fell under its scope, and China’s nuclear weapons were not covered at all. This imbalance, he said, has contributed to strategic instability.

DiNanno stressed that repeated treaty violations by Russia, unchecked nuclear expansion by China, and structural flaws in existing arms control agreements have created an urgent need for a new global nuclear framework capable of addressing modern threats rather than Cold War-era assumptions.

The comments follow earlier remarks by US President  Donald Trump, who last year suggested Washington could resume nuclear testing if rivals continued to expand their capabilities. Although Trump did not provide specifics at the time, DiNanno’s statements offer the clearest indication yet of Washington’s concerns.

The allegations surfaced as the US unveiled a proposal for three-party nuclear arms talks involving the US, Russia, and China, following the expiration of New START, the final remaining treaty limiting strategic nuclear weapons between Washington and Moscow. China, however, has already declined participation in any such negotiations for now.

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