US President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that Pakistan was testing a nuclear weapon, placing it in the same league as Russia, China and North Korea which too, he said, were carrying out clandestine nuke tests.
China on Monday contested Trump’s claim but Pakistan had not responded till late in the evening. Beijing is known to have last conducted a nuclear test in July 1996, and Islamabad in May 1998, immediately after India’s Pokhran II.
“North Korea is testing constantly; other countries are testing. We’re the only country that doesn’t test…. Russia is testing, and China is testing them, too,” Trump said in an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS.
“You just don’t know about it…. Russia is testing and China is testing but they don’t talk about it. We’re an open society, we are different, we talk about it…. We’re gonna test because they test, and others test. Certainly, North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing….”
What lends credence to Trump’s claims about Pakistan testing is the recent bonhomie between him and the Pakistani army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Munir has visited the US thrice since Operation Sindoor, meeting Trump twice — once for an unprecedented lunch with the President at the White House.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning was dismissive when asked at the daily briefing about Trump’s claim that China “conducts secret nuclear weapons tests”.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible nuclear-weapon state, China is committed to peaceful development, follows a policy of ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defence, and adheres to its nuclear testing moratorium,” Mao said.
“We stand ready to work with all parties to jointly uphold the authority of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.”
Mao added: “It’s hoped that the US will earnestly abide by its obligations under the treaty and its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing, and take concrete actions to uphold the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, as well as global strategic balance and stability.”
While the subcontinent is no stranger to nuclear sabre-rattling, recent months have seen Munir threaten nuclear war more than once.
Pakistan had in 2015 announced it was developing low-yield tactical nuclear weapons as a counter to New Delhi’s much talked about “Cold Start” doctrine – never officially acknowledged — that envisages rapid deployment of integrated battle groups for quick, limited strikes.
Low-yield nukes are for battlefield use. Their low yields allow countries to evade arms control treaties.
Barring North Korea, the nuclear-weapon countries have not tested since the 1990s. But this is of little consolation to India, given how Pyongyang helped Islamabad develop its nuclear weapons in the past.