The United States has publicly accused China of conducting a secret nuclear explosive test in 2020, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two powers as Washington calls for a new trilateral arms control framework. Thomas DiNanno, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, made the revelation during a speech at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland on February 6, 2026.
DiNanno stated that the US government is aware that China conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons. He specifically identified June 22, 2020 as the date of one such yield-producing nuclear test, accusing the Chinese military of seeking to conceal the testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognized these tests violate test-ban commitments.
The disclosure comes just one day after the New START treaty between the United States and Russia officially expired on February 5, 2026, leaving the world without any limits on the nuclear arsenals of the major powers for the first time since the Cold War. DiNanno characterized this moment as the end of an era of unilateral US restraint, suggesting Washington may now expand its nuclear capabilities.
According to US intelligence assessments, China has rapidly built up its nuclear arsenal over the past decade, with Beijing currently possessing approximately 600 warheads and adding roughly 100 per year. DiNanno warned that China remains on track to have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, with Russia allegedly supporting this buildup by helping develop weapons-grade fissile material.
China has not formally responded to the specific allegations but has previously denied any nuclear testing violations. The Chinese government maintains a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and claims its nuclear strategy focuses on self-defense. Beijing has also resisted US pressure to join trilateral arms control negotiations, arguing its arsenal is significantly smaller than those of the United States and Russia.
Both the United States and China signed the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty but have not ratified it. Russia withdrew its ratification in 2023. The accusations at the Geneva conference signal a new phase in great power competition, with the Trump administration pushing for a broader nuclear agreement that would bring China to the negotiating table alongside Russia and establish new limits on all three nations' arsenals.
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