Leeds MP writes to Foreign Secretary over 'extremely worrying' reports of Chinese nuclear test

It was reported by the USA last week that China may have secretly conducted a low-yield underground nuclear test, in a report pointing to circumstantial evidence of excavations and other activity at China’s Lop Nur test site.

But China denied the tests had taken place and accused the USA of making false allegations.

“China has always adopted a responsible attitude, earnestly fulfilling the international obligations and promises it has assumed,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

“The US criticism of China is entirely groundless, without foundation, and not worth refuting.”

Mr Hamilton, who is Labour’s Shadow Minister for Peace and Disarmament, said the reports were “extremely worrying”.

In a letter to Dominic Raab - also signed by Shadow Minister for Asia and Pacific Stephen Kinnock - Mr Hamilton said: “If these reports are true, it’s vital that Britain uses its position on the United Nations Security Council to call for a complete halt to any nuclear tests by China and support further multilateral initiatives to stop the testing and use of nuclear weapons.”

He said any tests would be “provocative and escalatory actions” and that “Beijing must show it is serious about bringing about an end to the use of nuclear weapons as a reckless political bargaining chip”.

He also asked Mr Raab to speak with his American counterpart to ensure this would not lead to a ramping up of tensions between the two countries.

The USA and China signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996, but neither country has ratified it.

Mr Hamilton said: “Given the uncertain circumstances the world finds itself in, Britain must now do everything it can to promote multilateral disarmament initiatives, under the auspices of the United Nations, to remove the threat of any escalation into a future nuclear conflict.

“This could only start by putting pressure on both China and the United States to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, in order to bring about a formal end to the testing of nuclear weapons.”