Trump’s Claims of Secret ‘Underground’ Tests Met with Skepticism, Chinese Denial

Donald Trump’s claims that China and Russia are conducting secret “way underground” nuclear tests have been met with broad skepticism and an official denial from Beijing. The former president made the allegations to justify his new order for the U.S. to resume testing.
No country other than North Korea is known to have conducted a nuclear detonation in decades. When pressed on this, Trump was dismissive, saying, “this is a big world. You don’t necessarily know where they’re testing.”
China’s foreign ministry labeled the claims baseless. A spokesperson reinforced that China has always “upheld a self-defence nuclear strategy” and has “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
Trump’s order, announced on social media, has sparked confusion over whether the U.S. intends to conduct its first nuclear explosion since 1992. The instruction to the “Department of War” was to begin testing “on an equal basis.”
The move comes at a time of heightened global tensions, following reports of Russia testing its Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile and a nuclear-capable underwater drone.