Overview
- President Trump told CBS that Russia and China conduct nuclear tests in secret and said he ordered the Pentagon to begin testing on parity.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the planned activities will be subcritical, describing non‑critical experiments on components rather than nuclear detonations.
- China rejected the accusation, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying Beijing has suspended nuclear testing and adheres to a no‑first‑use policy.
- Concern grew overseas, with Finland’s president warning of a “new era” in nuclear weapons and shifting deterrence dynamics.
- No major power has publicly conducted an explosive test since the 1990s, resuming one would run counter to the Comprehensive Nuclear‑Test‑Ban Treaty, and there is no independent confirmation that Russia or China have recently detonated nuclear devices.