FazTimes Media, Washington/Busan, 30 Oct: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that his government will resume nuclear weapons testing, a surprising move that has sparked a significant reaction in the world of international relations. This ends a long pause that lasted since the early 1990s. The decision was made just before Trump's important meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan, South Korea.

The U.S. leader also told South Korea that it can go ahead with building its own nuclear-powered submarine, which is a big change in the way the U.S. and South Korea work together on defense.

Going Back to Nuclear Testing

Trump's announcement, made on his Truth Social website, is one of the most significant changes in U.S. nuclear policy since the Cold War ended. He wrote, “I have told the Department of Defense to start testing our nuclear weapons on the same level as other countries,” and he said the process will begin right away.

Even though he didn’t say whether the tests would be actual nuclear explosions or just missile tests, the news has worried many experts who study weapons control. They are concerned that this move could lead to a new arms race.

Trump explained his choice by saying other countries are building up their nuclear forces. “The U.S. has more nuclear weapons than any other country,” he said, “but China will have as many in five years.” His words show how worried the U.S. is about China's fast-growing nuclear capabilities, which American military officials see as a new challenge in the world's balance of power.

Global Reactions and Rising Tensions

The news has caused quick responses from leaders around the world. Experts say that Trump's decision might weaken the efforts made over many years to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and could lead to more conflicts between countries that have them.

China has reportedly added about 100 nuclear warheads each year since 2023, bringing its total to around 600, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The U.S. military estimates that China could have more than 1,000 ready-to-use nuclear warheads by 2030, which is the fastest growth of such weapons in modern times.

In comparison, Russia has about 5,459 nuclear warheads, with 1,600 being currently ready for use. Approximately 5,550 nuclear warheads, including 3,800 actively prepared, are in the United States' arsenal.

Only India (1998), Pakistan (1998), and North Korea (five times between 2006 and 2017) have tested nuclear weapons since the treaty started.

The South Korea Factor

Along with announcing nuclear testing, Trump also said he had permitted South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, something that was only allowed to a few countries before.
“Old-style diesel submarines are no longer the way to go,” Trump said, adding that the advanced submarine would be made in Philadelphia, where a South Korean company named Hanwha has a big shipyard.
This decision brings Seoul into an exclusive group of countries—the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and India—that have nuclear-powered submarines.
This move happened after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reportedly asked Trump to change the current U.S.-South Korea nuclear agreement.

Currently, that agreement stops Seoul from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent nuclear fuel without Washington’s approval.

Lee said changing the agreement would let South Korea get the fuel it needs for its future nuclear-powered submarines. He stressed that South Korea is only interested in nuclear propulsion technology, not in making nuclear weapons.

Strategic and Political Implications

Trump’s two announcements—one about nuclear testing and the other about letting South Korea build nuclear submarines—happen at a time when global security is crucial.

His comments, made just before meeting with Xi Jinping, seem like a plan to show the U.S. is strong in Asia and stands up against China’s growing military power. Experts say this is part of Trump's plan to show strength in the Indo-Pacific, especially as tensions rise in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

Getting permission to build nuclear submarines is a big help for South Korea's defense, especially since North Korea is testing missiles and working on advanced nuclear technology. This has made Seoul want to be more self-sufficient when it comes to security.

But Trump’s decision has also caused some problems. Some people worry that it might start an arms race in Northeast Asia, with Japan and North Korea likely to take action in response.

Going back to nuclear testing could undo years of global agreement. Experts say if the U.S. restarts testing, other countries might follow, which could end a long-standing informal ban on nuclear tests.

Daniel Rosenfeld, who studies nuclear weapons, said, “This is a dangerous step backward. Testing doesn’t make America safer—it makes the world less safe.”

Some in the U.S. defense community support the change, saying it’s needed to make sure the U.S. nuclear weapons are still reliable as new technologies develop.

Trump's choice is that South Korea build nuclear submarines and start nuclear testing again, which comes at a time when tensions between the U.S. and China are rising, Russia is being more aggressive, and North Korea is still unstable. These things have made the world's security situation look like a new Cold War.

The U.S. is setting new strategic goals in Asia by helping South Korea join the group of countries that have nuclear submarines and starting nuclear testing again. These actions may help in the short term, but they could weaken the arms control rules that have kept the world safe for a long time.

Trump’s decisions show a big change in U.S. defense and foreign policy. While these actions might show American power, they also bring up important concerns about the world’s safety and the future of arms control.

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Reference: Al Jazeera

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