China Tests Non-Nuclear Hydrogen Bomb Amid US Tariff Tensions, Says SCMP Report:

As previously reported by SCMP, a South Chinese site, China has tested a non-nuclear hydrogen bomb amid increasing conflict with America concerning tariffs. They noted how the CSSC 705 Institute non-nuclear hydrogen bomb weighs merely 2 kilograms due to its makeup of magnesium hydride solid-stored hydrogen.

The Revolutionary Material Behind the Blast

Despite initially proposing magnesium-hydride-powered fuel cell satellites for remote regions, scientists later recognized the need for military applications. It proved far more efficient due to its ability to store a considerably higher amount of hydrogen than pressurized storage, deeming it useless in the clean energy movement. The material undergoes rapid thermal decomposition caused by conventional explosive triggers, releasing hydrogen gas that ignites into a sustained, intense fireball explosion.

Along with a CSSC team, Wang Xuefeng served as the primary researcher behind the project. A rather drastic simplification, the so-called ‘controlled,’ allows for a singular unit of energy to manipulate rough blast space encompassed explosively. He noted how the hydrogen blasts are controllable and require minimal ignition. In comparison to conventional pen-pol blasts that require greater control, the hydrogen variety bursts with ease.

Although the article mentions the test as part of the search for clean energy alternatives, the SCMP report raises the suspicions of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deployment. The paper did not explain how one could obtain magnesium hydride in bulk, particularly when it has only been produced in lab-scale amounts.

Geopolitical Context

The test comes amidst China–US economic rivalry escalation, especially after the latest series of tariff conflicts. The advancement of such technology is bound to draw international attention and concern, not only for military and nonmilitary purposes, but for the implications to clean energy and defense.