China, in his words · Second term · № 117
Said China's nuclear arsenal would equal the U.S. within five years and ordered weapons testing
“Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”
- Said
- , Post on Truth Social (@realDonaldTrump), shortly before meeting Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea
- Subject
- nuclear arsenal
- Threat
- Military threat
- Topic
- Veterans & military
- Era
- Second term
What the record showed
CNN reported that China's last known nuclear test was in 1996 and the last U.S. test in 1992, and cited a Pentagon report that China may have 1,000 warheads by the end of the decade, compared with some 6,000 for Russia and nearly that many for the United States. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on November 2, 2025 that the planned tests "are not nuclear explosions" but "noncritical explosions." At a May 13, 2026 Senate hearing Wright said the stockpile had again been certified as reliable through nonexplosive testing and that a decision on an explosive test "comes down to the Commander-in-Chief." The White House fact sheet on Xi's September 2026 state visit said Trump "advocated for trilateral arms control negotiations between the United States, Russia, and China."
Sources
- Truth Social Posts of October 29, 2025
- Trump instructs Pentagon to start testing nuclear weapons 'on an equal basis' with Russia and China
- Trump's nuclear weapons tests will involve 'noncritical explosions,' not atomic blasts, energy secretary says
- VIDEO: Rosen Pushes Energy Secretary to Admit Explosive Nuclear Testing is Not Needed
- White House Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Advances a Fair and Reciprocal Relationship with China While Hosting Historic State Visit