International Monitor Finds No Evidence to Support US Claim China Conducted Nuclear Test
Washington wants Beijing to join revised treaty as previous US-Russia accord expires
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which operates a global network of monitoring stations, said its sensors detected no signatures consistent with a nuclear explosion at Chinese test sites.
The U.S. State Department had suggested China may have violated testing moratoriums, a claim Beijing angrily rejected as "slander." The dispute comes as Washington seeks to bring China into trilateral arms control discussions.
Analysis
Why This Matters
Unsubstantiated weapons claims risk escalating tensions at a moment when nuclear arms control architecture is crumbling.
Background
The New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia has expired without replacement. Neither country has succeeded in bringing China to the negotiating table.
Key Perspectives
Washington argues China's nuclear buildup requires new frameworks. Beijing says it will not join negotiations until U.S. and Russian arsenals approach Chinese levels.
What to Watch
Whether the unfounded claim damages U.S. credibility in future arms control discussions.