US offers more details on claim China conducted secret nuclear weapons test

South China Morning PostEN 2 min read 100% complete by Xinmei ShenFebruary 18, 2026 at 01:16 AM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

A US State Department official provided more details regarding the US claim that China conducted a secret nuclear test in 2020. This comes as the US considers resuming its own nuclear tests to match what it perceives as opaque nuclear activity by China and Russia. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Yeaw stated the US would return to testing on an "equal basis," though not at the scale of past atmospheric tests. These developments occur after the expiration of the New START treaty, the last binding nuclear arms control agreement. President Trump seeks a new trilateral nuclear control deal with China and Russia, arguing for a better agreement than extending the existing treaty.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Geneva 30% Moscow 40% Thomas DiNanno 40% Hudson Institute 40% Department of State 60% Christopher Yeaw ×260% New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) 60% Russia ×270% Donald Trump ×380% China ×680% United States ×790%

Keywords

nuclear weapons test 100% china 90% us 80% nuclear arms control 70% arms control treaty 60% russia 60% strategic arms reduction treaty 50% donald trump 50%