The People's Republic of China conducted nuclear tests from 1964 to 1996. It is generally established that there were 45 tests involving 45 devices, with 23 being atmospheric. All tests were conducted in the remote location of Lop Nur, Xinjiang.
List + China's nuclear test series tests and detonations Name The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China did not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions – Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 – 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known. Date time (UTC) LocationRough place name and a latitude/longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area. Elevation + height Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together. Delivery,Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use.Purpose Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down. DeviceDesignations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed. YieldEstimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie). FalloutRadioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released. References Notes 596 07:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + tower, "596" or NGB
China's first nuclear test. U-235 implosion fission device. UD3 neutron initiator. The device weighed . No plutonium was available at that time. CHIC-2 02:00:??, or In 1969 the date was identified as 13 May 1965 by an Australian journalist who described the first seven of China's nuclear tests. See: . Or see the related article in The Sunday Times of June 15, 1969. Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + air drop, NGB
Militarized version of 596 dropped by Hong-6. 596L 08:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + air drop, "596L"
First use of lithium-6 in a sloika-like design. Said to have dropped on a white circle. CHIC-4 01:10:?? Launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China , elv: ;Detonation over Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development Dongfeng-2 warhead "548"
Delivery by CSS-1 MRBM Dong Feng-2 launched from Shuangchengzi Air Base, east of detonation. 629 04:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + tower, "629"
Two-stage thermonuclear bomb design. Design yield of 100 kt. Spherical fission primary based on 596 device. Spherical thermonuclear secondary with lead tamper. 639 00:19:08.2 Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + parachuted, "639"
Two-stage thermonuclear modified from 629 device to full yield. Spherical fission primary. Spherical thermonuclear secondary with natural uranium tamper. CHIC-7 07:30:22.1 Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + air drop,
Fizzled thermonuke. Recorded air burst. Erroneous reports exist that show a time of 04:00:00. CHIC-8 07:30:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + air drop, NGB/DF-3 warhead
First use of plutonium. CHIC-9 16:14:59.21 Area B (Qinggir), Lop Nur, China + tunnel,
Tunnel test in Nan Shan (South Mountain) that vented to surface. CHIC-10 08:40:12.36 Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + air drop, NGB/DF-3 warhead
CHIC-11 07:29:56.91 Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + air drop, NGB/DF-3 warhead
CHIC-12 06:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + cratering,
Only Chinese cratering test. CHIC-13 07:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + air drop, KB-1 tactical gravity bomb
Air dropped from Qiang-5 attack jet. See story of launch: CHIC-14 06:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + air drop,
Fizzled thermonuke. (15) 03:59:46.29 Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + air drop, NGB/DF-3 warhead
High altitude explosion. (16) 05:59:52.72 Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + atmospheric, JL-1 missile warhead
(17) 00:59:58.23 Area B (Qinggir), Lop Nur, China + tunnel,
In a tunnel in Bei Shan (North Mountain). (18) 06:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + atmospheric,
(19) 06:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + atmospheric, unknown device
(20) 04:59:58.8 Area A (Nanshan), Lop Nur, China + tunnel,
(21) 06:00:12.7 Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + air drop, DF-5 warhead
Largest Chinese test. (22) 07:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + atmospheric,
(23) 05:00:?? Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + atmospheric,
(24) 00:59:58.01 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: N1 + underground shaft,
First test in a vertical shaft. (25)
Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + atmospheric,
unnumbered failed test
Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + underground,
(26)(aborted)
Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + parachuted,
Parachute failure, bomb crashed without detonation. (27) 04:30:29.67 Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China + atmospheric, JL-1 missile warhead
Last confirmed atmospheric test in the world. (28)
Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + underground,
Attempted neutron bomb, fizzle. (29) 04:59:57.82 Area A (Nanshan), Lop Nur, China + tunnel,
Second attempt for neutron bomb, failure. (30) 09:59:58.05 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: D1 + underground shaft,
Third neutron bomb attempt, failure. (31) 05:59:57.99 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China + underground shaft,
Fourth neutron bomb attempt, failure. (32) 05:59:58.34 Area A (Nanshan), Lop Nur, China + tunnel,
Fifth neutron bomb test, successful. (33) 04:59:58.26 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: J1 + underground shaft, Ballistic missile warhead?
(34) 06:59:57.97 Area A (Nanshan), Lop Nur, China + tunnel, tactical ERW ?
Final proof test of neutron bomb. (35) 07:59:57.94 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: C1 + underground shaft, KRL derived CHIC-4 nuclear warhead design
China tested a nuclear warhead design from Pakistan. (36) 04:59:57.7 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: M2 + underground shaft, ballistic missile warhead?
(37) 04:59:57.45 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: N2 + underground shaft, DF-31/JL-2 missile warhead
China's largest underground test. (38) 07:59:58.47 Area A (Nanshan), Lop Nur, China + tunnel, experimental low yield device
unnumbered failed test
Area D (Drop Area), Lop Nur, China ~ + underground,
Test of insensitive high explosives in primary. (39) 01:59:56.6 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: A2 + underground shaft,safety experiment DF-31 warhead
Likely test of DF-31 warhead (40) 06:25:57.9 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: O1 + underground shaft, DF-31 warhead
Likely test of DF-31 warhead (41) 03:25:58.1 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: H1 + underground shaft,safety experiment DF-31 warhead
Likely test of DF-31 warhead. (42) 04:05:57.8 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: K1 + underground shaft,safety experiment DF-31 warhead
Likely test of DF-31 warhead. (43) 00:59:57.7 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: L1 + underground shaft,safety experiment DF-31 warhead
Prompted Japanese Diet to lodge a protest and freeze grants to China. (44) - 1 02:55:57.9 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: B1 + underground shaft,
(44) - 2 02:55:57.9 Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, China: B1 + underground shaft,
(45) 01:48:57.8 Area A (Nanshan), Lop Nur, China + tunnel,
Summary
+ China's nuclear testing series summary - Link to world summary of nuclear weapons tests Series or years Years covered TestsIncludes all tests with potential for nuclear fission or fusion explosion, including combat use, singleton tests, salvo tests, zero yield fails, safety experiments, and bombs incapacitated by accidents but still intended to be fired. It does not include hydronuclear and subcritical tests, and misfires of a device which was subsequently fired successfully. Devices fired Devices with unknown yield Peaceful use tests Non-PTBT testsNumber of tests which would have been in violation of the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963, such as atmospheric, space or underwater tests. Some "peaceful use" cratering tests which should have been violations were protested, and later quietly dropped. Yield range (kilotons) "Small" refers to a value greater than zero but less than 0.5 kt. Total yield (kilotons) Some yields are described like "< 20 kt"; such are scored at one half of the numeric amount, i.e., yield of 10k in this example. "Unknown yield" adds nothing to the total. Notes nuclear test 1964–1996
0 to 4,000
Totals 1964-Oct-16 to 1996-Jul-29 47 48 7 23 0 to 4,000 24,409 Total country yield is 4.5% of all nuclear testing.
See also Nuclear weapons of China Chinese space program China Academy of Engineering Physics
References