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Resources on China

China's Nuclear Tests:  Dates, Yields, Types, Methods, and Comments

# TEST AND DATE
YIELD
TYPE
METHOD
COMMENTS
(#45) 29 July 1996 1-5 kT Underground --  China's 45th and most recent test
(#44) 8 June 1996 20-80 kT Underground  -- Reported detonation of two warheads
(#43) 17 August 1995 60-80 kT Underground  -- Prompted the Japanese Diet (legislativebody) to pass a resolution protesting China's testing;
later that month, Japan froze government grants for the remainder of 1995
(#42) 15 May 1995 95 kT Underground  -- Prompted Japan to suspend the grant portion of its foreign aid program to China
(#41) 7 October 1994 40-50 kT Underground  -- --
(#40) 10 June1994 40-50 kT Underground  -- --
(#39) 5 October 1993 40-80 kT Underground  -- --
(#38) 25 September 1992 1-20 kT (About 8 kT) Underground  -- --
(#37) 21 May 1992 660 kT-1 MT (650 kT) Underground  -- China's largest underground test
(#36) 16 August 1990 50-200 kT (189 kT) Underground  -- --
(#35) 26 May 1990 15-65 kT (11.5 kT) Underground  -- --
(#34) 29 September 1988 1-20 kT (2.5 kT) Underground  -- Reported to be a 1-5 kT enhanced radiation weapon ("neutron bomb") test
(#33) 5 June 1987 Unknown yield (250 kT) Underground  -- --
(#32) 19 December 1984 5-50 kT (1.3 kT) Underground  -- --
(#31) 3 October 1984 15-70 kT (9.1 kT) Underground  -- --
(#30) 6 October 1983 20-100 kT (14.9 kT) Underground  -- --
(#29) 4 May 1983 Unknown yield (About 1 kT) Underground  -- --
(#28) 5 October 1982 3-15 kT Underground  -- --
(#27) 16 October 1980 200 kT-1 MT Atmospheric  -- The last atmospheric nuclear explosion by China or any country
(#26) 13 September 1979 Unknown yield Underground -- --
(#25) 14 December 1978 Below 20 kT Atmospheric  -- Fission
(#24) 14 October 1978 Below 20 kT (3.4 kT) Underground  Shaft method  China's first shaft explosion
(#23)15 March 1978 6-20 kT Atmospheric --  Fission
(#22) 17 September 1977 Below 20 kT Atmospheric --  Fission
(#21) 17 November 1976 About 4 MT Atmospheric  Air (H-6 bomber) Thermonuclear; 
Largest Chinese test
(#20) 17 October 1976 10-20 kT (2.6 kT) Underground -- Fission
(#19) 26 September 1976 200 kT Atmospheric --  Fission; 
Partial failure of fusion; 
"special weapon"
(#18) 23 January 1976 Below 20 kT Atmospheric  -- Fission
(#17) 27 October 1975 Below 10 kT (2.5 kT) Underground -- Fission
(#16) 17 June 1974 200 kT-1 MT Atmospheric --  Thermonuclear
(#15) 27 June 1973 2-3 MT Atmospheric Air (H-6 bomber)  Thermonuclear
(#14) 18 March 1972 100-200 kT Atmospheric  Air (H-6 bomber) Possibly trigger device, containing Pu, for thermonuclear warhead
(#13) 7 January 1972 8-20 kT Atmospheric  Air (Q-5 bomber) Fission; 
Possibly containing Pu
(#12) 18 November 1971 15-20 kT Atmospheric Ground (tower-mounted)  Fission; 
Possibly containing Pu
(#11) 14 October 1970 3-3.4 MT Atmospheric  Air (H-6 bomber) Thermonuclear
(#10) 29 September 1969 About 3 MT Atmospheric Air (H-6 bomber)  Thermonuclear
(#9) 23 September 1969 20-25 kT (19.2 kT) Underground  Tunnel method Fission ;
China's first underground test
(#8) 27 December 1968 3 MT Atmospheric  Air (H-6 bomber) Thermonuclear device; 
China's first test using plutonium (U235, with some Pu)
(#7) 24 December 1967 15-25 kT Atmospheric  Air (H-6 bomber) Fission (U235, U238, and Li-6)
(#6) 17 June 1967 3-3.3 MT Atmospheric  Air (H-6 bomber) China's first full-yield multi-stage thermonuclear test (U235)
(#5) 28 December 1966 122 kT/300-500 kT Atmospheric  Ground (tower-mounted) Boosted fission (U235); 
Test used to confirm the design principles of a two-stage device
(#4) 27 October 1966 12-30 kT Atmospheric  DF-2 (CSS-1) MRBM Fission (U235)
(#3) 9 May 1966 200-300 kT/ Atmospheric  Air (H-6 bomber) Boosted fission (U235); 
China's first test of a boosted fission device (using Lithium-6)
(#2) 14 May 1965 20-40 kT Atmospheric  Air (H-6 bomber) Fission (U235); 
China's first air-drop explosion by aircraft
(#1) 16 October 1964 20-22 kT Atmospheric  Ground (tower-mounted) Fission (U235); 
China's first nuclear explosion, named "Device 596," representing the year and month in which the Soviets refused to provide China with a prototype device (June 1959)

[Sources on estimated yields: Bates Gill, "China's Military Modernization: Implications For Proliferation," Presentation at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 27 February 1996; China Builds the Bomb, pp. 244-245; Richard W. Fieldhouse, Chinese Nuclear Weapons, pp. 49-52; Nuclear Weapons Databook, Volume 5, pp. 333-336.]

[Source for yields in parentheses: Vipin Gupta, "Locating Nuclear Explosions At The Chinese Test Site Near Lop Nur," Science & Global Security, Vol. 5, 1995, p. 208.]

[Additional sources: Robert S. Norris, "French And Chinese Nuclear Weapon Testing," Security Dialogue, March 1996, p. 49; Vipin Gupta, "The Status Of Chinese Nuclear Weapons Testing," Jane's Intelligence Review, January 1994, p. 32; "Nuclear Notebook," The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, May 1993, pp. 48-49; Steven Mufson, "A Nuclear Challenge From China: Beijing Unnerves Neighbors With Underground Blast," International Herald Tribune, 16 May 1995, p. 1; Robert Shuey and Shirley A. Kan, "Chinese Missile And Nuclear Proliferation: Issues For Congress," CRS Issue Brief, 16 November 1995, p. 12; Joel Ullom, "Enriched Uranium Versus Plutonium: Proliferant Preferences In The Choice Of Fissile Material," The Nonproliferation Review, Fall 1994, p. 5; Seth Faison, "China Sets Off Nuclear Test, Then Announces Moratorium," New York Times, 30 July 1996; "China Exploded More Than Two Warheads--Paper," Reuter, 12 June 1996i in Executive News Service, 12 June 1996; Chong Pin Lin, "Red Fist: China's Army In Transition," International Defense Review, February 1995, p. 32.]


Last Updated June 1998


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