China's foreign ministry said that the US accusation of Chinese nuclear explosive tests is completely groundless, and that China opposes the United States' fabrication of pretexts for its own resumption of nuclear tests, Xinhua reports.

Responding to a relevant query at the ministry's press briefing, spokesperson Lin Jian said that the US's persistent distortion and slander of China's nuclear policy essentially constitute political manipulation, through which the United States aims to pursue nuclear hegemony and evade its own nuclear disarmament responsibilities.

"China firmly opposes this," Lin said, stressing that the United States is the biggest source of disruption to both the international nuclear order and global strategic stability.

Lin noted that by allowing the New START Treaty to expire without renewal, the United States has severely undermined mutual trust among major countries and shaken global strategic stability.

China urges the US to renew the commitment of the five nuclear-weapons states to a moratorium on nuclear testing, uphold the global consensus on the ban on nuclear testing, and take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation regime, Lin said.

"China is committed to peaceful development, follows a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense, and maintains long-term consistency in its nuclear policy. We will continue playing a constructive role in safeguarding international peace and security," the Chinese MFA spokesperson said.