Donald Trump is citing alleged “way underground” tests by China and Russia as the primary reason for his new directive to resume U.S. nuclear testing. The order has been met with confusion about its scope and a firm denial from China.
“Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” Trump claimed in an interview, justifying the social media post that instructed the “Department of War” to “start testing.”
The post’s ambiguity has sparked concern. It is not known if “testing” refers to computational models or a physical detonation, which the U.S. has not performed since 1992.
China’s foreign ministry immediately denied Trump’s allegations. A spokesperson asserted that Beijing is a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” and has “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
This directive comes shortly after Russia tested a new nuclear-powered cruise missile and as Trump has been lauding the U.S. arsenal as the “world’s largest.”