List of all Chinese nuclear tests

[Broccoli]

# 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 (legislative body) 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 tmospheric 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)

CNS - China's Nuclear Tests


Here is another list.
http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/nuclear/tests/PRC-ntests1.html


Something is still going on in Lop Nor.
Jeffrey Lewis • Subcritical Testing at Lop Nor

 

[Broccoli]

Beginning with its first test on 16 October 1964, China conducted a total of 45 nuclear weapon tests -- 23 atmospheric and 22 underground -- ranging in yield from about 1 kiloton to about 4 megatons. China first tested underground on 23 September 1969. China's largest atmospheric test was 4 MT, conducted on 17 November 1976; its largest underground test was 660 kT, conducted on 21 May 1992.

China has conducted all of its nuclear weapons testing at Lop Nur, typically in the late spring and early fall.

China frequently points out that, of the declared nuclear powers, it has conducted by far the smallest number of nuclear tests, stating that it has "all along exercised utmost restraint on nuclear testing." ["Statement Of The Spokesman Of The Foreign Ministry Of The People's Republic Of China," 17 August 1995.]

China has reportedly tested 15 different warhead types: 4 with yields less than 20 kT; 4 with yields of 20-150 kT; and 7 with yields of 150 kT-4 MT.

China's has traditionally been reluctant to participate in the international regimes restricting nuclear testing. It originally criticized the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT), which bans atmospheric testing, as a "fraud" designed to preserve the superpowers' nuclear monopoly. However, although China has not signed the PTBT, it has been in de facto compliance with the treaty since its last atmospheric nuclear test on 16 October 1980. On 21 March 1986, China stated that it had not conducted atmospheric testing for years and announced a permanent end to its above-ground testing. China did not, however, indicate an intention to dismantle the technical capability to conduct such tests.

China says that its atmospheric testing did not cause any radioactive harm to the neighboring countries downwind of China, or to its regions of Beijing, Lanzhou, or Dunhuang, based on over 20 years of surveys.

China has also not signed or stated its adherence to the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT) (which restricts underground test yields to below 150 kt), but has been in de facto compliance with the treaty since its 660 kT explosion on 21 May 1992.

China was also originally reluctant to participate in the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Initially China insisted that it would agree to a CTBT only in exchange for no-first-use pledges from the other nuclear powers, and only in the context of general nuclear disarmament. Later, China dropped these conditions, but objected to the CTBT's ban on peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs) and legitimization of the use of national technical means (NTM) for verification.

After conducting an underground nuclear test on 29 July 1996 (its 45th test), China began a self-imposed moratorium on testing, effective 30 July 1996. [Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China, 29 July 1996.] On 24 September 1996, China signed the CTBT, even though the treaty draft both banned PNEs and allowed NTM. China insisted that the PNE ban be reviewed after 10 years, that NTM not be abused to infringe on Chinese sovereignty, and that the CTBT be considered only a first step toward more general disarmament.

Some speculate that China wanted to delay a testing moratorium until in could complete its latest round of tests. Officially, China declared in 1994 that these tests were geared toward designing warheads with safety features, such as insensitive high explosives (IHE). Other Chinese sources indicate that these tests were also intended to modernize Chinese nuclear weapons in other areas as well, including the development of an MRV or MIRV capability and to develop new warheads for China's next-generation solid-fuel ICBMs.

CNS - China