China Secretly Conducted Low-Intensity Nuclear Test, Claims US

Washington:  The US state department in a report on Thursday claimed that China might have secretly conducted a low-intensity underground nuclear test.

The report points to circumstantial evidence, of excavations and other stepped-up activity at China’s Lop Nur test site

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the state department report stated, “China’s possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year-round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur and a lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities … raise concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard.”

Republican Senator Tom Cotton posted on Twitter, “Beijing is modernising its nuclear arsenal while the United States handcuffs itself with one-sided arms-control. China has proven it can’t work with us honestly.”

The state department report also claimed that Beijing is included in blocking data transmissions from sensors linked to an international monitoring centre.

However, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) spokeswoman told the WSJ there had been no interruptions in data transmissions from China’s five sensor stations since September 2019.