US Accuses China of Rapid Nuclear Expansion Amidst Arms Control Concerns

Geneva – The United States has formally accused China of a dramatic and opaque expansion of its nuclear arsenal, raising concerns about a potential new arms race following the expiration of the New START treaty between the US and Russia. The accusations were leveled by Christopher Yeaw, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and Nonproliferation, at the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Monday.

New START Treaty and its Implications

The New START treaty, which limited the US and Russia to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads each, expired on February 5th, 2026. This marks the first time in decades that there is no treaty curtailing the world’s most destructive weapons . Yeaw argued that the treaty was flawed as it did not account for China’s rapid nuclear buildup.

Allegations Against China

Yeaw stated that China has “deliberately and without constraint, massively expanded its nuclear arsenal” despite assurances to the contrary . He expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding China’s ultimate goals, suggesting China may achieve nuclear parity with the US within the next four to five years .

The US also alleges that China conducted a low-yield underground nuclear test in June 2020. Data from Kazakhstan reportedly showed a 2.75-magnitude explosion equivalent to a 10-tonne nuclear explosion . Yeaw indicated that the US is considering resuming nuclear testing to match these alleged actions.

China’s Response

Chinese Ambassador Shen Jian firmly rejected the accusations, stating that China would not “engage in any nuclear arms race” . He dismissed the claims of a 2020 nuclear test as a “pretext” for the US to resume its own testing. Shen maintained that China’s nuclear arsenal is not comparable to those of the US and Russia.

Diplomatic Efforts and Future Prospects

Despite the accusations, the US and China have engaged in preliminary discussions. A “preparatory” meeting took place in Washington following the expiration of New START, and a more “substantive” meeting was scheduled in Geneva for Tuesday . Yeaw emphasized that the US remains committed to arms control and seeks a “better agreement” leading to a world with fewer nuclear weapons.

According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Russia and the US currently possess more than 5,000 nuclear weapons .