Wednesday, February 18, 2026-Senior U.S. officials have publicly provided new specifics backing a bold claim that China secretly conducted an underground nuclear weapons test in June 2020—a charge that has intensified tension between Washington and Beijing and raised alarms about global arms control norms.
At an event in Washington, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Yeaw said seismic data from a monitoring station in Kazakhstan showed a magnitude‑2.75 event near the Lop Nur test grounds that he described as inconsistent with natural earthquakes or mining activity, suggesting a buried nuclear detonation. U.S. officials argue China may have used techniques to mask or weaken the seismic signature of the blast, making it harder to detect.
Beijing has categorically rejected the U.S. allegations, calling them politically motivated and unfounded, and insists it has not conducted any nuclear tests since the 1990s—when it last publicly detonated a device.
The Kremlin also weighed in, stating neither China nor Russia carried out secret tests, and noted that China firmly denied the claims. The Comprehensive Nuclear‑Test‑Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), which oversees seismic monitoring for nuclear tests, reported small seismic signals on the alleged test date but said the data were too limited to conclude that a nuclear explosion occurred.
The dispute comes as broader arms control mechanisms strain: the New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia recently expired, and Washington is pushing for a new, tripartite nuclear pact that would include China. U.S. officials argue that such accusations—and the spotlight they place on China’s nuclear activities—underscore the need for updated verification and control measures.
However, independent experts caution that seismic evidence remains inconclusive and that longstanding voluntary moratoria and treaties have kept full‑scale nuclear testing dormant for decades.
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