U.S. President Donald Trump alleged on Sunday (Nov 2) that countries including Russia and China have secretly conducted underground nuclear tests, suggesting that the United States would resume similar testing after more than three decades of adherence to a testing moratorium.
“Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” Trump said in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes released on Sunday. “I don’t want to be the only country that doesn’t test,” he added, naming North Korea and Pakistan as other nations allegedly carrying out such secretive tests.
The comments have reignited debate over the United States’ long-standing commitment to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and raised questions about whether Trump intends to authorize the country’s first nuclear detonation since 1992.
Confusion has surrounded Trump’s apparent order to restart testing. The 79-year-old Republican made the surprise declaration via a social media post on Thursday, just minutes before entering a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
His post appeared to signal a dramatic shift in U.S. nuclear policy, coming on the heels of Russia’s announcement that it had successfully tested a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Burevestnik, and a nuclear-powered underwater drone capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Asked directly by CBS whether he intended to detonate a nuclear weapon for the first time in more than three decades, Trump said: “I’m saying that we’re going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes.”
No country other than North Korea has conducted a nuclear detonation in decades. Russia and China have not performed such tests since 1990 and 1996, respectively.
Pressed further, Trump insisted that “they don’t go and tell you about it,” suggesting that clandestine underground testing may be occurring undetected by international monitors. “They test way underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test,” he said. “You feel a little bit of a vibration.”
Beijing swiftly rejected Trump’s accusations. On Monday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said her country “has always strictly abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
“As a responsible nuclear-weapons state, China has always pursued a self-defensive nuclear strategy and fulfilled its international obligations,” Mao told reporters at a regular press briefing in Beijing. “We hope the United States will take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, and maintain global strategic balance and stability.”
China’s denial echoes previous statements from both Beijing and Moscow, who have repeatedly dismissed Western claims of undisclosed nuclear tests. Both countries remain signatories to the CTBT, which prohibits all nuclear test explosions for any purpose.
Amid growing speculation, Trump’s energy secretary, Chris Wright, downplayed the possibility that the United States was preparing for a live nuclear detonation.
“I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions,” Wright said in a Sunday interview with Fox News. “These are what we call ‘non-critical’ tests — they examine all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the right geometry and setup for a potential detonation.”
Such “subcritical” or “non-critical” tests are permitted under the current moratorium and involve using materials that do not reach a self-sustaining chain reaction. They allow scientists to assess the reliability and safety of nuclear stockpiles without violating international agreements.
The United States signed the CTBT in 1996, though it has never formally ratified the treaty. Still, Washington has observed a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing for more than 30 years, as have Russia, China, and other major powers.
Analysts warn that any move by the U.S. to resume testing could unravel decades of arms control progress and encourage other nuclear powers to follow suit.
“Even suggesting that the U.S. might resume testing risks setting off a new arms race,” said Dr. Helen Roberts, a nuclear policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It could give political cover for countries like Russia or China to do the same under the guise of parity.”
Trump’s remarks come amid an increasingly tense geopolitical climate marked by renewed nuclear rhetoric, failed arms control negotiations, and expanding nuclear modernization programs across the globe.
While the president’s statement may appeal to his base as a symbol of American strength, critics argue that reintroducing nuclear testing would erode the credibility of the international non-proliferation regime — and potentially destabilize global security.
