‘A Distant Third’: Trump Diminishes China’s Arsenal While Ordering New US Tests

While ordering a resumption of U.S. nuclear testing, Donald Trump also diminished China’s nuclear capabilities, calling it a “distant third” compared to the U.S. and Russia. He made the comments as he accused all three nations of testing.
“We have more nuclear weapons than any other country,” Trump claimed on Truth Social. He asserted that “Russia has the most weapons [after the US], with China being a ‘distant third.'”
Despite this, he claimed both nations were secretly testing, forcing his hand. “I have instructed the Department of War to start testing… on an equal basis,” he wrote. He reiterated this in a CBS interview, stating, “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing.”
China’s foreign ministry denied the accusations. A spokesperson stated that China is a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” with a “self-defence” posture and has honored its testing suspension.
Trump’s order has led to confusion over whether the U.S. will conduct its first nuclear explosion since 1992. His claims that rivals are testing “way underground” have been met with skepticism.