China's secret nuclear tests: How great power competition threatens to erode international testing norms

Philipp Rombach

No 31/2026, SWP Comments from Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Abstract: The United States has accused China of conducting secret nuclear weapons tests in violation of international norms and testing moratoria. Because of its comparatively limited historical testing record, China has strong incentives to obtain additional test data for the modernization of its nuclear weapons programme. Thus, it would be disadvantageous for Washington to respond by resuming underground nuclear testing, as Russia and China would benefit more from the erosion of international testing norms. For their part, Germany and Europe can take only limited action by promoting greater transparency and confidence-building measures.

Keywords: China; Russia; United States; nuclear test; nuclear weapon; Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT); Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT); One-Point Safety; National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); NNSA Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:swpcom:343134

DOI: 10.18449/2026C31

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