(VOVWORLD) - China on Monday expressed serious concern over media reports on US officials discussing the possibility of resuming nuclear tests, urging the US to meet its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.
Some US media outlets on May 15 reported that the US is considering its first nuclear test explosion since 1992.
Zhao said although the CTBT, an important pillar in the international regime of nuclear arms control, has yet to come into effect, the nuclear test ban is an international norm. He noted the US leads the total number of nuclear tests conducted so far.
The CTBT is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996 but has not entered into force, as eight specific nations have not ratified the treaty.