Highlights:
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Former President Trump claims Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan are conducting secret underground nuclear tests.
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Trump suggests the United States may resume nuclear testing in response, referencing past U.S. policy since 1992.
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In a CBS 60 Minutes interview, Trump said, “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” and added, “I don’t want to be the only country that doesn’t test.”
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Trump also claimed other nations test underground without public disclosure, stating, “They test way underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test.”
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China denies Trump’s allegations, saying it upholds a self-defense nuclear strategy and has suspended nuclear testing.
Former President Trump has alleged that Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan are conducting secret underground nuclear tests and suggested that the United States may take similar action. The remarks, made during an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, have prompted clarification from the U.S. government and firm denials from China. The issue comes at a time of renewed global focus on nuclear capabilities and strategic deterrence.
During the interview, Trump stated, “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it.” He added, “I don’t want to be the only country that doesn’t test,” while also naming North Korea and Pakistan as countries that he believes are conducting underground tests. The interview aired on Sunday (2), days after Trump first published a brief announcement on social media that the United States would begin testing. That announcement was made shortly before Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit in South Korea.
Trump Suggests U.S. May Resume Nuclear Testing
The prospect of renewed nuclear testing by the United States has raised questions about what type of tests Trump intends to authorize. The United States has not carried out a full nuclear detonation since 1992. The country has, however, conducted non-nuclear system tests that examine components of nuclear weapon systems without triggering an actual nuclear explosion.
When asked directly if he planned for the United States to detonate a nuclear weapon, Trump told CBS, “I’m saying that we’re going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes.” He continued by arguing that other nations may be violating non-proliferation commitments without acknowledging it publicly. “They don’t go and tell you about it,” he said. “As powerful as they are, this is a big world. You don’t necessarily know where they’re testing. They test way underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration.”
Trump Comments Follow Russian Weapons Announcement
Trump’s remarks came shortly after Russia said it had tested two advanced nuclear-capable systems. Russia announced tests of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone. Those announcements drew global attention, as both systems represent strategic developments in long-range strike capability and underwater nuclear delivery.
Russia is not known to have conducted a full nuclear detonation since 1990, and China last tested in 1996. The only country known to have carried out a nuclear detonation in recent decades is North Korea. Trump, however, argued that underground and covert testing could be taking place without global awareness.
China Denies Trump Nuclear Test Claims
China rejected Trump’s assertion that it has resumed nuclear testing. Speaking in Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning responded to questions about Trump’s comments. “As a responsible nuclear-weapons state, China has always… upheld a self-defence nuclear strategy and abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing,” she said. Mao added that China expects the United States to “take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and maintain global strategic balance and stability.”
U.S. Energy Secretary Clarifies Testing Activity After Trump Comments
Following Trump’s statements, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright provided clarification regarding current American testing activities. Wright stated that the United States is not planning a full nuclear explosion. “I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions,” he told Fox News. He added, “These are what we call ‘non-critical explosions,’ so you’re testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and they set up the nuclear explosion.”
The United States signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996, which bans nuclear test explosions for any purpose. Although the treaty has not been ratified by the U.S. Senate, the United States has observed a moratorium on nuclear detonation since the early 1990s.
