NEWS UPDATES: Recent Chinese Nuclear Testing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13/10/1994 China tested a 40-150kt trigger, according to the Seismological Centre at Canberra, Australia. Chinese tests include: Date Tonnage 1992 1 Megatonne fusion June 1993 10-60kt Oct 1993 50-100kt These differing yields indicate China is designing a new type of weapon, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, London. China has had nuclear weapons for 30 years, and has about 300 warhead in its stockpile. New missiles it is testing include an 8000km weapon designed for silo or sub launch, and a 12000km weapon. China's position has been the advocation of the scrapping of *all* nuclear weapons. However, it is not a signer of the present moratorium on testing. Nor is France for that matter. The number of tests China has done so far: 41. This should be compared to the USA's total of > 1000. Recent Chinese sales have been 20 CSS-8 surface-to-surface missiles to Iran. China has been accused of selling missile technology to Pakistan, Iran, and Syria. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Aug 1995 40-50kt fission bomb exploded (in anticipation of France's decision to resume testing at Moruroa?). From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel) Subject: CHINA'S 43RD TEST /** disarm.ctb-npt: 226.0 **/ ** Topic: CHINA'S 43RD TEST ** ** Written 9:04 AM Aug 17, 1995 by ctb in cdp:disarm.ctb-npt ** VERTIC Verification Technology Information Centre Carrara House 20 Embankment Place London WC2N 6NN England tel 44 171 925 0867 fax 44 171 925 0861 e-mail vertic@gn.apc.org PRESS RELEASE 17 AUGUST 1995 10.30 China has again carried out a nuclear test at the Lop Nor test site during the Geneva nuclear test ban negotiations. The underground nuclear explosion took place at 0100 GMT today, 17 August 1995. The nuclear device was exploded approximately 260 km south-east of Urumqi, the largest city in Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The test caused a seismic event, measured at 5.6 on the Richter scale. Initial estimates indicate the yield at approximately 60 kilotons of TNT. This is the 43rd known Chinese nuclear test (the UK has carried out 44) and the fifth since October 1992, (when the USA joined the international testing moratorium). This is only the second time that China has conducted a nuclear test in August since the start of its testing programme in 1964, which could be due to a sense of urgency - China has plans to carry out more tests before the end of 1996. It is likely that there will be at least one other test before the end of 1995. This is China's second test this year, despite its participation in the comprehensive nuclear test ban (CTBT) talks which began in Geneva in January 1994 and despite its commitment to a CTBT by the end of 1996. It also comes at a time when China is testing new missiles at sea off the northern coast of Taiwan. The nuclear weapons tests are part of China's missile modernization programme. Following the announcement in June that France is to resume testing in the South Pacific, France announced last Thursday that it will support a Comprehensive Test Ban prohibiting "any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion." The US confirmed the following day that it will support a "zero yield" ban. Both announcements will make a Comprehensive Test Ban more attainable at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva - the forum mandated at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference in New York in May to negotiate a Comprehensive Ban 'no later than 1996." "Given these announcements by France and the US last week, and given that it has conducted another test, the ball is back in China's court," said Dr. Patricia Lewis, Director of VERTIC. "China should now drop its requirement for so-called 'peaceful nuclear explosions' to be exempted from the test ban and continue to work constructively for a cost-effective workable verification regime." After analysing satellite images of the Lop Nor test site. VERTIC correctly predicted China's tests in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995. VERTIC was the first organization in the world to announce the Chinese nuclear test on 5 October, 1993. For further information call Patricia Lewis at 44 (0)71 925 0867. ** End of text from cdp:disarm.ctb-npt ** *************************************************************************** This material came from PeaceNet, a non-profit progressive networking service. For more information, send a message to peacenet-info@igc.apc.org ***************************************************************************