US Accuses China of Secret Nuclear Test After Galwan Clash

Beijing rejects allegations, calls claims exaggerated ‘China nuclear threat’ narrative

February 8, 2026: The United States has accused China of conducting a covert nuclear test on June 22, 2020, days after the deadly Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops. The allegation was made at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva by US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno. He claimed Washington has credible information that China attempted to conceal the test, despite knowing such activity would violate international commitments, raising concerns over transparency and global arms control norms.

DiNanno said the alleged test took place shortly after the Galwan incident, in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives, and accused the Chinese military of deliberately hiding the nuclear explosion. He further highlighted disparities in global arms control, noting that while US nuclear forces are bound by treaty limits and a portion of Russia’s arsenal falls under restrictions, China is not party to any binding nuclear arms control agreement, including the New START treaty.

China has firmly rejected the broader accusations, dismissing them as an attempt by Washington to exaggerate a “so-called China nuclear threat”. Chinese officials accused the US of making unfounded claims and argued that America remains the largest contributor to nuclear arms expansion. They reiterated that China’s nuclear stockpile, estimated at around 600 warheads, is far smaller than those of the US and Russia, and ruled out joining trilateral arms control talks, underscoring rising tensions between the two powers over nuclear accountability.