US Accuses China of Nuclear Build-Up

The United States has accused China of a dramatic and opaque expansion of its nuclear arsenal, including conducting secret nuclear tests. This accusation comes after the expiration of New START, the last arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, on February 5. Christopher Yeaw, the US assistant secretary of state for arms control and nonproliferation, stated that New START was flawed for not including China's nuclear build-up. Washington is now demanding that China be included in any future arms control treaty, a call Beijing has publicly rejected. The United States also alleges that Russia violated the expired treaty and assisted China in increasing its arsenal. This situation marks the first time in decades without a treaty limiting the most destructive weapons, raising concerns about a new arms race.