The official Kremlin has denied White House claims that China and Russia have conducted secret nuclear tests.
"We have heard many references to certain tests. Both the Russian Federation and China have been mentioned in this regard. Neither the Russian Federation nor China have conducted any nuclear tests," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We also know that these allegations were categorically denied by a representative of the People's Republic of China, so this is the situation," Peskov added.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeThe United States this month accused China of conducting a secret nuclear test in 2020, while calling for a new and broader arms control treaty that would include China as well as Russia.
US President Donald Trump is pressuring China to join the US and Russia in negotiating a replacement pact for New START, the last US-Russia nuclear arms control agreement that expired on February 5.
The treaty's expiration has fueled concerns among some experts that the world is on the brink of an accelerating nuclear arms race, although other arms control experts say such fears are exaggerated.