China Defends “Responsible” Stance After Trump’s Test Accusations

China’s foreign ministry has defended its “responsible” stance on nuclear weapons after being accused by Donald Trump of secret testing. Trump used this allegation as the basis for his own confusing order for the U.S. to “start testing.”
A ministry spokesperson stated that Beijing is a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” and has “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.” This was a direct response to Trump’s interview claims.
Trump had alleged that China and Russia were conducting tests “way underground.” This claim, he said, justified his social media directive to the “Department of War” to “start testing.”
The U.S. order remains deeply ambiguous. It is not known if it refers to computer simulations or a physical blast, which would violate the 1992 moratorium.
The backdrop to this dispute includes a recent Russian missile test and Trump’s boasts about the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.