US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, October 30, 2025. MARK SCHIEFELBEIN / AP
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday, October 30, that he had ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing on a level with China and Russia – just minutes before opening a high stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The move comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, in defiance of Washington's warnings.
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Xi opts for strong-arm approach ahead of meeting with Trump
"Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that specifically referenced Russia and China. Trump also noted the United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country, praising his own efforts to do "a complete update and renovation of existing weapons." He added that "Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years."
