New Nuclear Arms Race? Trump Orders US Testing to Match Rivals

Fears of a new nuclear arms race have escalated after Donald Trump ordered the U.S. to “start testing” its nuclear weapons, a move he claims is necessary to keep pace with secret tests by China and Russia. This directive signals a potential end to the U.S. moratorium on nuclear explosions, which has been in place since 1992.
Trump first announced the order on social media, declaring he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.” He justified the move by claiming, “Because of other countries testing programs… I had no choice.”
In a subsequent television interview, Trump elaborated on his claims. “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” he said, adding North Korea and Pakistan to the list. He argued, “I don’t want to be the only country that doesn’t test.”
Beijing swiftly denied the allegations. China’s foreign ministry asserted that the country “upheld a self-defence nuclear strategy” and remained committed to its pledge to suspend nuclear testing. The ministry characterized China as a “responsible nuclear-weapons state.”
Trump’s statements also included boasts about the U.S. arsenal, which he claimed was the world’s largest and capable of blowing up the world “150 times.” He positioned Russia as the second-largest nuclear power, with China as a “distant third.”