‘No first use of nuclear weapons…:’ China issues strong response to Donald Trump’s secret nuclear testing allegation, urges US to..

United States President Donald Trump has made a bold statement targeting China and highlighting the deteriorating relationship between the two nations. Pakistan and China are among the countries which are testing nuclear weapons, US President Donald Trump has said to justify his administration’s plans to resume testing of the US’s own nuclear assets after a gap of over three decades. Before meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, Trump stated that the US would begin testing nuclear weapons on an “equal basis” with adversaries.

What is China’s official stance on nuclear testing?

Nevertheless, China has denied carrying out secret nuclear weapons tests and has dismissed US President Trump’s claims. In a statement issued on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated that Beijing has not lifted the years-long informal moratorium on nuclear testing. According to an Al Jazeera report, she reiterated that China has “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”

Where did China release its statement regarding nuclear tests?

“As a responsible nuclear-weapon state, China is committed to peaceful development, follows a policy of ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defence, and adheres to its nuclear testing moratorium,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stated that Beijing hopes the US will “take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and maintain global strategic balance and stability”, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Mao Ning added that China expresses support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and urged the United States to abide by its obligations under the CTBT. Previously, Trump had asserted that some countries, including Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan, were conducting nuclear tests and contended that the United States should recommence its own program of nuclear testing.

In an interview with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell on Sunday, the US president named Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan as the countries testing nuclear weapons. “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. You know, we’re an open society. We’re different. We talk about it…. We’re gonna test, because they test and others test,” Trump said.

“And certainly North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing,” he asserted. Shortly before meeting Xi in South Korea on Thursday last, Trump said on social media that the US will resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades. Trump claimed some of the countries conducting tests of their nuclear weapons don’t acknowledge them.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  1. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stated that Beijing hopes the US will “take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament.
  2. United States President Donald Trump has made a bold statement targeting China.
  3. According to US media reports, the US military regularly tests its missiles that are capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, but it has not detonated the weapons since 1992.
  4. China has denied carrying out secret nuclear weapons tests and has dismissed US President Trump’s claims.

“They don’t go and tell you about it. You don’t necessarily know where they’re testing. They test way under — underground, where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test,” he said, news agency PTI reported. According to US media reports, the US military regularly tests its missiles that are capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, but it has not detonated the weapons since 1992.

News