China rejects US nuclear test claims, accuses Washington of fuelling instability

Beijing said it follows a no-first-use policy and keeps nuclear forces at a minimum level, after Washington alleged expansion and flagged a 2.75-magnitude seismic event in 2020.

Warhead sections for People's Liberation Army (PLA) DF-5C liquid-fueled intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles on Chang'an Avenue at Tiananmen Square during a military parade to mark 80 years since Japan's defeat in World War II held in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. | Bloomberg

China said US claims that it was carrying out nuclear explosive tests were baseless, and it accused Washington of being the main cause of uncertainty over the global nuclear order, according to a statement.

A Ministry of National Defense spokesman said in the statement that China adheres to a no‑first‑use policy, pursues a self‑defensive strategy and keeps its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security.

China’s response follows repeated allegations by Washington that China is expanding its nuclear capabilities. Christopher Yeaw, the assistant secretary of state for arms control, said earlier this month that the US had detected a seismic event of 2.75 magnitude on June 22, 2020, according to the report.

Yeaw told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva this week that China has “massively expanded its nuclear arsenal without transparency,’ according to the report.

The China spokesman said that US backtracking on arms‑control commitments has made it the main driver of nuclear instability, urging Washington to uphold the testing moratorium and shoulder primary responsibility for disarmament and global strategic stability.

In a separate statement, the spokesman rejected remarks by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, accusing Beijing of coercive action and heightened military activity.

China’s operations are lawful measures to safeguard sovereignty and security, the spokesman said. Beijing has warned that Japan’s security policy revisions and arms‑export changes echo past militarism, and called on the international community to oppose any move toward rearmament and to uphold the post‑World War II order.

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