US Accuses China of Secret Nuclear Test Amid Calls for Broader Arms Agreement
The United States has accused China of conducting a secret nuclear test in 2020, as the Trump administration seeks a broader nuclear weapons agreement that includes China and Russia. The accusation follows the expiration of the New START Treaty between the US and Russia, which had previously limited their nuclear arsenals. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno revealed that the US government is aware of China's nuclear explosive tests, including one on June 22, 2020. The Chinese military allegedly used decoupling methods to conceal the tests, which involve reducing seismic activity to avoid detection. Despite these allegations, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) stated that their monitoring system did not detect any nuclear test explosion consistent with the characteristics described by the US. 
