The United States of America has reason to believe the People's Republic of China is conducting low-level nuclear tests in breach of the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. In a leaked report, the Department of State pointed to an abnormal level of activity at the Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Base, citing development of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities, and an overall lack of transparency from the government in Beijing.
The report also drew attention to China's potential dual-use biological activities. By engaging in, "biological activities with potential dual-use application," the government fears that China may have violated the Biological Weapons Convention. The United States government could not prove or dis-prove if Beijing still stored, or produced, bio-weapons due to an overall lack of transparency.
China has rejected the claims profusely, with Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian saying in a press conference that China continues to uphold its duty to international treaties and agreements, "This is a complete distortion of the facts... China has always adopted a responsible attitude, earnestly fulfilling the international obligations and promises it has assumed."
The leak comes amid high tensions between the US and China over the COVID-19 pandemic. Overwhelming evidence points to the fact the Chinese government suppressed medical professional and lied to the international community about the disease's characteristics, namely its means of transmission.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Army, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.