With the success of Project 596, China became the world's fifth nuclear power.

Project 596

First Chinese nuclear test, 1964

Project 596 was the first nuclear weapons test conducted by the People's Republic of China, detonated on 16 October 1964, at the Lop Nur test site. It was an implosion fission device containing about 15 kg weapons-grade uranium (U-235) from Lanzhou enrichment plant.