This photo shows a gerenal view of China's and USA's flags. (PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images and Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
China's embassy in Washington has rejected the Trump administration's claim, telling NBC News that the report is "political manipulation," and the U.S. is "evading its own nuclear disarmament responsibilities."
"China urges the U.S. to reaffirm the five nuclear-weapon states’ commitment on refraining from nuclear tests, uphold the global consensus against nuclear tests, and take concrete steps to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime," spokesperson Liu Pengyu told the outlet.
U.S. officials warned that Beijing may be preparing tests in the "hundreds of tons" range — a scale that underscores China’s accelerating nuclear modernization and complicates efforts to draw Beijing into arms control talks.
Members of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy march during the rehearsal ahead of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
DiNanno also accused Beijing of using "decoupling" — detonating devices in ways that dampen seismic signals — to "hide its activities from the world."
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China’s foreign ministry has denied the allegations, accusing Washington of politicizing nuclear issues and reiterating that Beijing maintains a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.
The accusation has sharpened questions about verification, deterrence and whether the U.S. stockpile stewardship program — which relies on advanced simulations rather than live detonations — remains sufficient in an era of renewed great-power nuclear competition.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mysterious-2020-explosion-china-had-hallmarks-nuclear-test-us-official-alleges