PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. State Department disclosed that China has conducted secret nuclear tests, violating global commitments against testing.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
WHEN & WHERE: China conducted at least one secret nuclear test on June 22, 2020, with the U.S. government revealing the incident on Friday, February 6, 2026.
KEY QUOTE: “The PLA sought to conceal testing by obfuscating the explosions because it recognizes these tests violate test-ban commitments.” – U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno
IMPACT: China’s nuclear arsenal is rapidly expanding, with projections of over 1,000 warheads by 2030, raising global security dangers.
IN FULL
The Trump administration revealed on Friday that it possesses evidence indicating China has been conducting secret nuclear weapons tests, including one on June 22, 2020, in violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) of 1996. Thomas DiNanno, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, disclosed the information during the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, stating that Beijing sought to conceal the tests to avoid scrutiny.
“Today, I can reveal that the U.S. government is aware that China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons,” DiNanno stated, continuing, “The PLA sought to conceal testing by obfuscating the explosions because it recognizes these tests violate test-ban commitments.”
The under secretary added that China used decoupling techniques to reduce the effectiveness of seismic monitoring and hide its activities. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) prohibits all nuclear weapons test explosions, though neither the U.S. nor China has formally ratified it.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has committed to vastly expanding his country’s nuclear arsenal, with warheads now numbering around 600 and increasing by approximately 100 per year. Concerningly, Russia has supported Beijing’s buildup by aiding in the development of weapons-grade fissile material. Satellite imagery has identified around 300 missile silos in northern China, with over 100 reportedly loaded with intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S.
In response to ongoing clandestine nuclear tests conducted by China and Russia, President Donald J. Trump instructed the Pentagon late last year to resume nuclear testing “on an equal basis” with both countries. However, DiNanno said that the President also intends to pursue a new nuclear arms control agreement since the expiration of the NEW START treaty this past Thursday. The new treaty would include China, as well as Russia, with only the latter having been a party to the NEW START agreement.
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