Donald Trump’s directive to resume U.S. nuclear testing is based on his personal claim that Russia and China are conducting secret “way underground” tests. This order has sparked significant confusion about U.S. policy and drawn a sharp denial from China.
In a recent interview, Trump alleged, “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it.” This accusation serves as his primary justification for the new order, which he announced on social media.
The order itself is a source of major confusion. By instructing the “Department of War” to “start testing,” it remains unknown if Trump means computational simulations or a physical detonation, which the U.S. has not carried out since 1992.
China’s foreign ministry immediately refuted Trump’s “underground test” claims. A spokesperson insisted that Beijing is a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” and has always “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
The context of this directive is tense, following a recent Russian missile test. Trump has also added to the rhetoric by boasting that the U.S. arsenal is the “world’s largest.”