The Untold Story of China’s Nuclear Weapon Development and Testing

At a time when the relationship between the United States and China is deteriorating—as China’s regional influence and capabilities expand, and tensions over trade and technology exports increase—strategic stability between the two nations is also eroding. Of particular concern to the U.S. is China’s on-going nuclear modernization and the significant buildup of its nuclear arsenal. However, too little is known about the specifics of China’s nuclear weapons programs, or about the performance of its nuclear warheads.

How has China developed and tested its modern warheads? How small and light is each warhead? What are the strategic implications of warhead miniaturization? What are the policy implications of the on-going and future expansion of China's nuclear arsenal? 

Join us for a discussion with Dr. Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate in the Project on Managing the Atom, on his newly released book: The Untold Story of China’s Nuclear Weapon Development and Testing (MIT, 2025).

To purchase Zhang's book, please use this link.