Is China Breaching Its Nuclear-Testing Commitments?

Military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles travel past Tiananmen Square in Beijing in October 2019. Photo: Reuters

Rod Lyon, RCD/The Strategist: Is China in Breach of Its Nuclear-Testing Commitments?

Covid-19 might be dominating the headlines these days, but other important issues still play out in the smaller font sizes. In last month’s executive summary of the 2020 edition of the U.S. State Department’s annual report on global arms-control compliance, a ‘concern’ is raised about possible low-level Chinese nuclear testing at the Lop Nur test site in Xinjiang province.

The issue was promptly picked up by the Wall Street Journal’s Michael Gordon, a journalist with strong credentials and contacts in the field of national security. Although the official report offered little in the way of evidence, Gordon’s coverage suggests some in Washington wanted to put China on notice about the issue. And that, in turn, suggests a renewed focus on nuclear testing—particularly low-level testing—in coming years.

The issue is complex. First, let’s take a closer look at the State Department’s concern:

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WNU Editor: I always liked what former President Reagan had to say about nuclear weapons and treaties .... "trust but verify". As long as China keeps its nuclear weapons facilities off-limits, the international community must always be vigilant.