Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Oct 30: In a dramatic escalation of rhetoric, US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to restart nuclear weapons testing — marking what could be a major shift in American defence policy that has upheld a voluntary moratorium since 1992.

Just moments before his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump posted on social media asserting that the United States “has more nuclear weapons than any other country,” placing Russia second and China “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,” Trump declared, while on the final leg of his Asia tour.

The announcement has sent ripples across global diplomatic circles, as it signals a potential breakdown of the decades-long understanding among major powers to refrain from live nuclear tests. The United States last conducted such a test in 1992, while Russia’s last came in 1990 and China’s in 1996. North Korea remains the only country to have carried out a nuclear test this century, with its last one in 2017.

The renewed testing directive comes in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming successful trials of Moscow’s nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile. Meanwhile, North Korea recently conducted cruise missile tests, vowing to strengthen its “nuclear combat posture.”

Reports indicate that China has expanded its missile testing infrastructure, with at least three new ballistic launch complexes built in recent years and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fired into the Pacific in 2024.

Defence analysts warn that Trump’s statement could reignite a global arms race. “There are strong indications that the US, Russia, and China might all resume nuclear testing soon,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

In September, the US Navy also carried out four test launches of its nuclear-capable Trident missiles, underscoring the growing militarization among the world’s top powers.

If implemented, Trump’s directive could reverse decades of nuclear restraint — and reshape the global security landscape at a time when tensions between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing are already at a peak.