For many years, the State Department compliance report has stated that “concerns remain about activities at the Lop Nur Nuclear Test Site given the PRC’s lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities at the site, its previous use of explosive containment chambers, and prior questions regarding its adherence to the ‘zero-yield’ standard in its nuclear weapons testing moratorium.” The 2012 report of the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on technical issues related to the CTBT found that “based on Russia’s extensive history of hydronuclear [a synonym for “supercritical”] testing, such tests could be of some benefit to Russia in maintaining or modernizing its nuclear stockpile. By law, the directors of the three nuclear weapons laboratories and the commander of the US Strategic Command are required to make annual assessments of the safety, reliability, performance, and military effectiveness of US nuclear weapons, including determinations of the potential utility of nuclear testing to resolve issues.
Author: March 10, 2026
Published at: 2026-03-10 00:00:00
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