China accuses US of seeking to revive its nuclear test programme

China has rejected accusations from the United States claiming that it conducted a nuclear test in 2020, labeling the allegations as “an excuse” for the U.S. to potentially resume its own nuclear testing. Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated that the U.S. has consistently distorted and misrepresented China’s nuclear policy. This response came after U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Thomas DiNanno, made the claims during a statement in Geneva. The U.S. allegations were made in the context of a global disarmament conference, where Washington called for a new arms control treaty that would include China and Russia. The accusations highlighted escalating tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly following the expiration of the treaty that limited missile and warhead deployments between the U.S. and Russia. The U.S. government asserted that it was aware of China's alleged nuclear activities, which it described as secretive. In response to the U.S. claims, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), responsible for monitoring nuclear testing globally, stated that its monitoring system did not detect any events consistent with a nuclear weapon test explosion during the time of the alleged Chinese test. Robert Floyd, the executive of the CTBTO, confirmed this position, further undermining the U.S. allegations.