The Chinese military said that it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, its first such test in more than 40 years.
ICBMs are primarily designed to carry nuclear warheads and China’s latest generation ICBM – Dongfeng-41 (DF-41) – has an operational range of between 12,000 kilometers and 15,000 kilometers (7,500- 9,300 miles), which means it can reach the U.S. mainland.
China’s defense ministry said in a statement that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force successfully launched an ICBM carrying a training simulated warhead into the high seas of the Pacific Ocean early on Wednesday.
“It accurately landed in the designated sea area,” the ministry said.
It was not clear what type of ICBM was tested.
The ministry said that the launch was a routine arrangement of the force’s annual military training, “in line with international law and international practice, and is not aimed at any specific country or target.”
China’s first publicly known ICBM test launch was in May 1980 when it fired at least two missiles into the South Pacific as a gesture of deterrence to the Soviet Union but since then the PLA has not announced any further test.
In its 2023 China Military Power report, the Pentagon said that China had completed construction on at least 300 ICBM silos in 2022. It also said that as of May 2023, it had more than 500 operational nuclear warheads, and that number would likely grow to more than 1,000 by 2030.
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China’s Xinhua News Agency said relevant countries had been notified about Wednesday’s test launch in advance but it did not elaborate.
Taiwan’s ministry of national defense said it had recorded “intensive” Chinese missile firing activities but did not provide further details.
This month, China’s neighbor North Korea has also conducted several short-range ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, Beijing has protested against the deployment of U.S. Mid-Range Capability missile system Typhon in the Philippines since April, saying it undermined peace and stability in the region.
Edited by RFA Staff.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Staff.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.