China's nuke tests "are not small," NNSA boss says
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China is "clearly" conducting explosive nuclear testing and "trying to hide it," National Nuclear Security Administration boss Brandon Williams told Axios at a Govini defense conference in Washington.
Why it matters: It's a doubling down on accusations made earlier this year by top State Department arms control officials.
What they're saying: "It appears they're doing testing in the hundreds of tons of yield. These are not small tests, folks," Williams said.
- "And these are absolutely against the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and all of the pronouncements they've made."
- Beijing adamantly denies conducting such tests and claims it's Washington that's being irresponsible in the nuclear realm.
Context: The CTBT, as it's known, was signed years ago by nearly 200 countries.
- But it was not ratified by China, Israel, North Korea and the U.S., among others.
Zoom out: President Trump in October ordered nuclear tests to resume on an "equal basis" of those abroad. He didn't say whether that meant Defense Department flight tests or NNSA explosive tests.
- "Any decisions about our testing program are exclusively in the realm of the president," Williams said.
Friction point: Nuclear states today use supercomputers and data from previous tests for simulation and stewardship. The U.S. is richer in these insights than others.
- Some experts worry a return to full-on nuclear testing would erode the U.S. advantage.
