A directive from Donald Trump to “start testing” U.S. nuclear weapons has caused significant confusion and drawn a sharp denial from China. It is not clear whether the former president’s order implies a resumption of nuclear explosions, which the U.S. has not conducted since 1992.
Trump justified the order by making the explosive claim that China and Russia are already conducting their own secret tests. “They don’t talk about it,” he said in a CBS interview, adding that he did not “want to be the only country that doesn’t test.”
China’s foreign ministry swiftly refuted the allegation. A spokesperson stated that Beijing remains a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” and is committed to its “self-defence nuclear strategy” and its suspension of testing.
Trump’s order was first posted on social media, where he claimed the move was necessary “on an equal basis” with rivals. He also boasted about the U.S. arsenal, claiming it was the world’s largest and had been fully renovated.
This development follows reports of Russia testing a new nuclear-powered cruise missile. Trump also named North Korea and Pakistan as countries conducting tests, though only North Korea is known to have conducted a nuclear detonation in recent decades.