World
Washington Seeks Beijing's Nuclear Arsenal Details Amid Doubts Over Compliance with Test Ban
U.S. officials are quietly engaging China over its rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal, amid concerns about Beijing's adherence to the 30-year-old nuclear test ban treaty. The talks follow allegations that China conducted low-level secret nuclear tests.
President Donald Trump's administration is holding quiet talks with China over its rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal, amid doubts about Beijing's compliance with the 30-year-old nuclear test ban, according to the Wall Street Journal citing U.S. officials.
The discussions took place on the sidelines of multilateral meetings in Geneva, New York, and Rabat, Morocco, where the United States is pressuring China to address allegations that it secretly conducted extremely low-level nuclear tests.
Further talks are expected next month, as Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to the White House on Thursday, urged both the Chinese and American militaries to continue regular dialogue, improve communication mechanisms, and prevent crises amid escalating military and technological competition between the two nations.
The nuclear dialogue is part of broader efforts to stabilize relations between the two countries, coinciding with Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping following this week’s annual United Nations summit of world leaders.
Trump has sought to build a strong personal relationship with Xi, and this week’s meeting is expected to focus on trade issues, artificial intelligence, and potential business deals. However, the rapid growth of China’s nuclear arsenal has cast a shadow over U.S. policy toward its foremost geopolitical rival.
The talks between U.S. and Chinese officials have centered on measures to reduce nuclear risks, without aiming to negotiate a formal arms control agreement—a path previously strongly rejected by Beijing.
Christopher Yeo, a senior U.S. State Department official for arms control, said in a speech he delivered in August during a conference hosted by the U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha, Nebraska: "Russia and China have shown initial signs of openness to participating in discussions on strategic stability and arms reduction." He added: "We are still far from discussing central limits, ceilings, or constraints."
Nuclear Test Ban Violation
One of the key diplomatic topics has been U.S. allegations that China violated the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) of 1996.
The treaty has not entered into legal force due to insufficient ratifications by member states, so its provisions allowing for short-notice inspections are not enforceable. Nevertheless, China, Russia, and the United States claim they abide by its terms.
The treaty permits signatory nations to take steps to ensure the safety and reliability of their nuclear weapons, including conducting tests using fissile materials, provided they do not result in a nuclear explosion.
However, the Trump administration accused China of exceeding these limits by carrying out secret, extremely low-level nuclear tests, including one at the Lop Nor site in northwestern China in June 2020.
Chinese officials have strongly denied these allegations, placing the two nations in direct confrontation over the issue.
In October 2025, Trump stated he would order the resumption of U.S. nuclear testing on a "level playing field" with China and Russia if both countries did not cease suspected low-level tests.
Trump’s warning came after three top Republican lawmakers sent a confidential letter to the president regarding allegations that China and Russia are conducting "supercritical tests," a term sometimes used to describe low-level tests.
The letter was signed by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee; Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Washington Explores New Verification Mechanisms
As tensions rise, the Trump administration has begun highlighting the possibility of implementing new verification measures for nuclear activities.
Yeo said: "There may be diplomatic and technical options that could increase confidence in each side’s behavior regarding nuclear explosions, including enhancing the ability to detect extremely low-yield tests."
Yeo did not specify how monitoring operations could be improved. However, independent experts suggest installing seismic monitoring devices at or near test sites. Another possibility, raised during the previous Biden administration, involves deploying radiation detection equipment at test locations.
If new verification measures are agreed upon, they could be adopted by the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. These nuclear-armed nations have all signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and are permanent members of the UN Security Council.
This arrangement would avoid the politically sensitive step of explicitly targeting Beijing while giving Washington a mechanism to strengthen oversight of Chinese and Russian nuclear activities.
President Donald Trump's administration is holding quiet talks with China over its rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal, amid doubts about Beijing's compliance with the 30-year-old nuclear test ban, according to the Wall Street Journal citing U.S. officials.
The discussions took place on the sidelines of multilateral meetings in Geneva, New York, and Rabat, Morocco, where the United States is pressuring China to address allegations that it secretly conducted extremely low-level nuclear tests.
Further talks are expected next month, as Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to the White House on Thursday, urged both the Chinese and American militaries to continue regular dialogue, improve communication mechanisms, and prevent crises amid escalating military and technological competition between the two nations.
The nuclear dialogue is part of broader efforts to stabilize relations between the two countries, coinciding with Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping following this week’s annual United Nations summit of world leaders.
Trump has sought to build a strong personal relationship with Xi, and this week’s meeting is expected to focus on trade issues, artificial intelligence, and potential business deals. However, the rapid growth of China’s nuclear arsenal has cast a shadow over U.S. policy toward its foremost geopolitical rival.
The talks between U.S. and Chinese officials have centered on measures to reduce nuclear risks, without aiming to negotiate a formal arms control agreement—a path previously strongly rejected by Beijing.
Christopher Yeo, a senior U.S. State Department official for arms control, said in a speech he delivered in August during a conference hosted by the U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha, Nebraska: "Russia and China have shown initial signs of openness to participating in discussions on strategic stability and arms reduction." He added: "We are still far from discussing central limits, ceilings, or constraints."
Nuclear Test Ban Violation
One of the key diplomatic topics has been U.S. allegations that China violated the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) of 1996.
The treaty has not entered into legal force due to insufficient ratifications by member states, so its provisions allowing for short-notice inspections are not enforceable. Nevertheless, China, Russia, and the United States claim they abide by its terms.
The treaty permits signatory nations to take steps to ensure the safety and reliability of their nuclear weapons, including conducting tests using fissile materials, provided they do not result in a nuclear explosion.
However, the Trump administration accused China of exceeding these limits by carrying out secret, extremely low-level nuclear tests, including one at the Lop Nor site in northwestern China in June 2020.
Chinese officials have strongly denied these allegations, placing the two nations in direct confrontation over the issue.
In October 2025, Trump stated he would order the resumption of U.S. nuclear testing on a "level playing field" with China and Russia if both countries did not cease suspected low-level tests.
Trump’s warning came after three top Republican lawmakers sent a confidential letter to the president regarding allegations that China and Russia are conducting "supercritical tests," a term sometimes used to describe low-level tests.
The letter was signed by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee; Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Washington Explores New Verification Mechanisms
As tensions rise, the Trump administration has begun highlighting the possibility of implementing new verification measures for nuclear activities.
Yeo said: "There may be diplomatic and technical options that could increase confidence in each side’s behavior regarding nuclear explosions, including enhancing the ability to detect extremely low-yield tests."
Yeo did not specify how monitoring operations could be improved. However, independent experts suggest installing seismic monitoring devices at or near test sites. Another possibility, raised during the previous Biden administration, involves deploying radiation detection equipment at test locations.
If new verification measures are agreed upon, they could be adopted by the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. These nuclear-armed nations have all signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and are permanent members of the UN Security Council.
This arrangement would avoid the politically sensitive step of explicitly targeting Beijing while giving Washington a mechanism to strengthen oversight of Chinese and Russian nuclear activities.
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