Donald Trump, after claiming the U.S. has the “world’s largest” nuclear arsenal, has ordered the resumption of testing. This directive is based on his allegations of secret Chinese and Russian tests, claims that China has vehemently denied.
The order has sparked widespread confusion, as it’s unclear what “testing” means. Trump’s social media post did not differentiate between computational modeling and a physical detonation, the latter of which would end the 1992 moratorium.
Trump’s justification came in a CBS interview, where he claimed, “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it.” He added that these tests were “way underground.”
China’s foreign ministry immediately issued a sharp refutation. A spokesperson stated that Beijing is a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” and has “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
This escalation comes on the heels of Russia testing a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, contributing to a growing sense of global instability.