According to the news, France was strongly criticized for ______.

France has carried out another underground nuclear test in the South Pacific. It’s the fifth in the region since September. The test was conducted at the Mururoa Atoll on Wednesday. Paris has come under strong criticism for its nuclear testing program, especially from Asia-Pacific countries. A State Department spokeswoman in Washington expressed disappointment at the latest French test. France has promised to sign a global test-ban treaty after it completes its current series of nuclear tests in the Pacific.