US lags behind China in nuclear energy but will soon catch up, says Treasury Secretary Bessent

Hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in over.

Three decades, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the decision, saying the country must “catch up” with China in nuclear power development. In an interview with Fox Business’s Mornings with Maria, Bessent said, “The US is lagging behind China in nuclear power development, but we can certainly catch up. It’s all hands on deck for nuclear power.”

Earlier, Trump declared that the US would “immediately begin” nuclear weapons testing, citing similar actions by China and Russia. The announcement came just hours before his scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea.

Trump said that while he personally opposed the destructive nature of nuclear arms, he had “no choice” but to act given the expanding programs of rival powers. “The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I hated to do it, but had no choice. Russia is second, and China is a distant third — but will be even within five years.”

The move marks a major shift in US nuclear policy, ending a 33-year moratorium on full-scale testing that had been in place since 1992. It also raises concerns about the possible collapse of long-standing global arms control norms.

Meanwhile, Bessent also highlighted growing trade cooperation between Washington and Beijing ahead of the Trump-Xi talks, noting that China had agreed to purchase 12 million metric tons of soybeans from the US this season. “Between now and January, that number will increase — and for the next three years, they’re expected to buy at least 25 million metric tons annually,” he added.