China has tested a non-nuclear hydrogen bomb. What you need to know

China has successfully conducted field tests of fundamentally new weapons. Information about this appeared in the press on April 20. What is the new Chinese bomb, whether this weapon will be used on the battlefield and why China should arm itself — in the Izvestia article.

A hydrogen-based bomb

• Chinese researchers have conducted controlled field tests of a hydrogen-based non-nuclear bomb. An explosive device weighing 2 kg, when detonated, created a fireball with a temperature of more than a thousand degrees Celsius — such heating leads to the melting of brass and aluminum alloys. The bomb was developed by the 705 Research Institute of the Chinese State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of China's largest military contractors and a manufacturer of underwater weapon systems.

• The new explosive device uses a solid-state drive based on magnesium hydride. This material contains more hydrogen than a pressurized cylinder, and it is thanks to hydrogen that the explosion power is provided: when the bomb is activated, magnesium hydride decomposes under the influence of heat and releases a gas that flares up and can burn for a long time. During the tests, the hydrogen burned for more than 2 seconds, while the equivalent charge of TNT gives a flash lasting 0.12 seconds.

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• The use of magnesium hydride allows you to control the power of the explosion. In a series of experiments, the directional effect of the weapon was also evaluated. Its explosive force was only 40% of that of a comparable TNT explosion, but the heat generated far exceeds the effect of a TNT explosion and acts as a thermal chain reaction that can continue until fuel is exhausted. The heat can cover a large area, destroying scattered enemy forces, military equipment and drones, while the energy of the explosion will be concentrated at one point, for example, damage to a large infrastructure facility.

Technically, the new Chinese weapon cannot be called a hydrogen bomb, because instead of a thermonuclear reaction, the mechanism of action is chemical combustion. Gorenje The weapon requires a minimum of energy to ignite, but at the same time it provides a wide range of damage and rapid flame spread. Such a bomb does not fall under the restrictions of nuclear treaties, which allows China to continue developing.

• Magnesium hydride was originally developed for peaceful purposes. It is designed to provide environmentally friendly electricity and heat to remote residential areas that are not connected to the power grid. The production of magnesium hydride was considered difficult and dangerous, but China has found a way to reduce the cost and secure production and can now produce up to 150 tons of the substance per year at a plant in Shaanxi Province.

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Application prospects

It is not yet known whether China plans to use new weapons on the battlefield and when they will enter service with the People's Liberation Army of China. But the very fact of the tests suggests that China is ahead of its competitors and is developing a fundamentally new class of thermal weapons. In fact, this is a flash of hydrogen, but tests have demonstrated the high power of an explosive device, so the prospect of using such ammunition is possible.

Technically, the new Chinese weapon cannot be called a hydrogen bomb, because instead of a thermonuclear reaction, the mechanism of action is chemical combustion. Gorenje The weapon requires a minimum of energy to ignite, but at the same time it provides a wide range of damage and rapid flame spread. At the same time, it does not fall under the restrictions of nuclear treaties, which allows China to continue developing.

Why is China arming itself

• China and the United States are the largest trading partners and at the same time an existential threat to each other. Preparing for war with China is a common line for all US presidents, regardless of which party they represent, and now the administration of the current US President, Donald Trump, is seeking to get out of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East in order to concentrate forces on opposing China, among others.

• The reason for the military confrontation between the United States and China is the island of Taiwan, which has a developed diversified economy, is a world leader in semiconductor manufacturing and an important trading partner of the United States. Washington imports Taiwanese electronics and sells weapons to the island, as Taiwan insists on its own sovereignty, contrary to the "one China" formula, which adheres to the PRC.

• In anticipation of unfriendly actions by the United States, China is actively building up its own weapons and developing new weapons. In 2024, China announced the creation of a new advanced HQ-19 air defense system capable of detecting and shooting down ballistic and hypersonic missiles. According to its characteristics, Chinese air defense can surpass the best American developments.

During the preparation of the material, Izvestia interviewed:

• military expert Dmitry Kornev.