China Conducted Nuclear Test Post-Galwan Clash, Claims US As Donald Trump Tightens Stance

New Delhi: There was already tension in the relations between America and China, but now a new dispute has come to the fore regarding nuclear weapons. America has alleged that China quietly conducted a low-intensity nuclear test in the year 2020 and also tried to hide it from the world. This matter has arisen at a time when arms control systems seem to be weakening at the global level.

What has America claimed?

According to US officials, on June 22, 2020, China conducted a low-yield nuclear explosion. Thomas Dinano, a senior arms control official, said during a conference in Vienna that China conducted a test with hundreds of tons of explosive capacity and deliberately concealed it.

America says that China used such technology that the shock of the explosion was felt less and the surveillance systems could not detect it. That is, even if the test was conducted, it was done in a very 'low profile' manner.

Why did the monitoring agency not find any evidence?

Interestingly, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, an organization that monitors nuclear activities around the world, did not get any clear signal that day.

The organization says that its system generally detects explosions of 500 tonnes or more capacity. However, experts believe that it is possible to hide testing with very low intensity testing. This is the reason why there is a difference in the reports of America and international agencies.

How did China respond to the allegations?

China has rejected these claims outright. He says that he is sticking to the policy of stopping nuclear testing and is not doing any kind of secret activity. Beijing alleges that America is fabricating stories without concrete evidence and unnecessarily increasing tension.

Why has this issue become so important now?

The timing of this controversy also matters a lot. Recently the last nuclear arms control agreement between America and Russia has ended. Now there is no legal limit left on the two big powers.

On the other hand, Donald Trump has already said that China should also be included in the new nuclear deal.

Is the world moving towards an arms race again?

If we look at the whole picture, the atmosphere seems to be more of doubt than trust. On one hand agreements are ending, on the other hand countries are blaming each other. The simple fact is that if transparency does not increase, the world may again get trapped in a nuclear arms race. And its impact will not be limited to just these countries but will affect the entire world.