US plays down subcritical8217; N-test

Burns said the first experiment condenamed Rebound8217; had been reviewed by technical experts at Los Alamos and the Lawrence Weapons Laboratories to ensure that it was subcritical. It was in fact subcritical. 8220;We are very careful about this8221;, he added.

He was commenting on a Chinese official spokesman8217;s statement in Beijing in which he had criticised the US nuclear-related experiment, alleging that America, in the process, had violated the CTBT.

He denied the Chinese allegation and said 8220;we are very careful about this and we strictly adhere to the CTBT8221;.

Burns insisted that subcritical experiments were not nuclear tests, 8220;they Chinese ought to get their physics straight8221;.

When asked whether the US was willing to share the results of these tests with other nuclear powers to make sure that they too did not have a self-sustaining chain of reaction, he said the US was willing to respond to questions the signatories to the CTBT might like to ask.