No evidence to support US claim China conducted nuclear blast test: Monitor

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al JazeeraFebruary 7, 2026 at 04:14 AM

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In February 2026, US Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno accused China at a UN disarmament conference in Geneva of conducting clandestine nuclear tests in 2020, violating nuclear test ban treaties. DiNanno claimed China concealed these tests, including one on June 22, 2020, to obfuscate the explosions. These accusations came shortly after the expiration of the New START treaty between the US and Russia, with DiNanno advocating for new nuclear weapons control agreements. However, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization stated that its monitoring system detected no event consistent with a nuclear weapon test explosion at the time of the alleged Chinese test, and that assessment remains unchanged. The US wants China to join a new nuclear weapons treaty after the expiration of the New START accord.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Geneva 30% UN 40% Robert Floyd 50% Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization 60% New START ×470% Russia ×470% Thomas DiNanno ×380% China ×790% United States ×390%

Keywords

nuclear test 100% china 90% united states 80% new start 70% nuclear weapons treaty 70% nuclear disarmament 60% arms control 60% nuclear explosion 50% test ban treaty 50% comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty organization 40%