US Alleges China's 2020 Nuclear Test

A senior US official, Christopher Yeaw, revealed new details alleging that China conducted an underground nuclear test in June 2020 at its Lop Nor test grounds. He cited seismic data from a station in Kazakhstan, indicating an 'explosion' of magnitude 2.75, which he believes is consistent with a nuclear explosive test and not natural phenomena or mining blasts. Christopher Yeaw also suggested China might have used a decoupling method to conceal the test. China has vehemently denied these allegations, with spokesperson Liu Pengyu calling them 'entirely unfounded' and a political manipulation by the United States to justify its own nuclear testing. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, however, stated that there is insufficient data to confirm the allegations with confidence, as the recorded seismic events were below their detection threshold. This dispute occurs amidst broader concerns about nuclear arms control, particularly following the expiration of the New START treaty between the United States and Russia, and calls from former US President Donald Trump for China to join trilateral arms negotiations, which China has rejected.