The Kremlin said on Wednesday that neither Russia nor China had conducted secret nuclear tests, after the United States accused Beijing of carrying out a covert test in 2020 and urged a broader arms control framework including China.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that both Moscow and Beijing had rejected the allegations.

Moscow and Beijing Reject US Claims

The United States this month accused China of conducting a secret nuclear test in 2020, stepping up pressure for a new arms control agreement that would involve not only Russia but also China.

“We’ve heard many references to certain tests. Both the Russian Federation and China have been mentioned in this regard,” Peskov said.

“Neither the Russian Federation nor China has conducted any nuclear tests.”

He added that Beijing had “categorically denied” the accusations.

Push for New Arms Control Pact

U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressing China to join Washington and Moscow in negotiating a successor to the New START agreement, the last remaining U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control pact, which expired on February 5.

The end of the treaty has raised concerns among some experts that the world could face an accelerated nuclear arms race. Others argue such fears may be overstated, noting that all sides retain strong incentives to avoid uncontrolled escalation.

(with inputs from Reuters)