Washington Revives Nuclear Allegations Against China
Washington renews unproven nuclear accusations as China, Russia, and independent monitors reject the claims as politically motivated and unsupported by evidence
United States | PUREWILAYAH.COM — The United States has renewed allegations accusing China of conducting a covert nuclear test in 2020, advancing claims that Beijing strongly denies and which independent observers say remain unsupported by conclusive evidence.
A senior U.S. State Department official asserted that China carried out an underground “nuclear explosive test” in June 2020, citing what Washington describes as newly reviewed intelligence.
U.S. Accusations Based on Disputed Seismic Data
The accusations were reiterated on Tuesday by Christopher Yeaw, the U.S. assistant secretary for arms control and nonproliferation, during an event hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington.
Yeaw claimed that seismic data from June 2020 was “quite consistent” with a nuclear explosion, referring to a minor 2.75-magnitude seismic event detected by a monitoring station in Kazakhstan.
The U.S. argues that the epicenter, located roughly 725 kilometers from the Lop Nur site in western China, indicates an underground nuclear blast.
“I’ve looked at additional data since then. There is very little possibility… that it is anything but an explosion, a singular explosion,” Yeaw said though no direct physical evidence was presented publicly to substantiate the accutations.
China, Russia Reject Allegations; Experts Cite Lack of Proof
China has repeatedly dismissed the allegations as baseless. Responding to the latest claims, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said the accusations amounted to “political manipulation aimed at pursuing nuclear hegemony and evading its own nuclear disarmament responsibilities,” according to Reuters.
Russia has also rejected Washington’s assertions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there was no evidence to support U.S. claims and reiterated that neither China nor Russia has conducted nuclear tests.
Independent monitoring bodies have similarly cast doubt on the U.S. narrative. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization stated that its data recorded two very small seismic events occurring seconds apart, stressing that the available information was insufficient to determine their cause with confidence.
The renewed accusations have reinforced perceptions that Washington is using unverified claims to apply political pressure on strategic rivals, while deflecting attention from its own nuclear posture and refusal to advance meaningful global disarmament. (PW)