Richard Saunders, Subic Bay
Taiwan is closely monitoring reports after a senior U.S. official reiterated claims that China conducted an underground nuclear explosion in June 2020 — an allegation Beijing has again dismissed as baseless political manipulation.
Speaking at an event hosted by Washington’s Hudson Institute, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Nonproliferation Christopher Yeaw said the United States had gathered new intelligence suggesting seismic activity “consistent with what you would expect from a nuclear explosive test” at China’s remote Lop Nur test site in Xinjiang.
“I’ve looked at additional data since then. There is very little possibility, I would say, that it is anything but a singular explosion,” Yeaw said, referring to a magnitude 2.75 tremor detected by a monitoring station in Kazakhstan, roughly 725 kilometers from Lop Nur.
China’s embassy in Washington swiftly rejected the remarks, calling them “entirely unfounded political manipulation” aimed at maintaining U.S. nuclear dominance and avoiding disarmament obligations. Beijing maintains it has strictly observed its moratorium on nuclear testing.
The Kremlin voiced support for Beijing, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that “neither Russia nor China has conducted any nuclear tests,” and that U.S. accusations lack credible evidence.
Independent analysts, including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), offered a cautious assessment. The agency reported that its sensors in Kazakhstan had registered “two very small seismic events, 12 seconds apart,” but said there was insufficient data to confirm whether they were caused by an explosion.
From Taipei, defense and academic observers note that Washington’s renewed focus on China’s nuclear activities underscores deepening U.S.-China strategic rivalry. Taiwanese security experts say any escalation in nuclear-related tensions could carry implications for regional stability and cross-Strait dynamics.
