This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.
The Chinese military said that it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, or 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 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.
The intercontinental missile test sends a strong signal to the world that China is determined to build up its nuclear capabilities, analysts said.
“A significant factor is to respond to growing international skepticism about the internal stability and combat readiness of China’s Rocket Force,” said Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Senior Fellow Zhao Tong, adding that in recent years, international public opinion has focused on issues of corruption within the Rocket Force, equipment quality problems, and leadership changes.
Some U.S. officials even argue that, given those issues, the Chinese military is unlikely to conduct large-scale military operations in the foreseeable future, Zhao said.
“For China’s political leaders, such international doubts have a highly negative impact on the perception of China’s military power. Chinese leaders are very concerned that Western skepticism about China’s military capabilities might lead to more aggressive containment or suppression policies, or even proactive military provocations from Western nations.”
‘New era of nuclear competition’
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.
With the ICBM test, China is sending the signal that it is going to continue to build up its global nuclear capabilities, said Richard Fisher, a senior researcher who specializes in Asian military affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, a U.S. think tank.
“China’s ICBM test is another reminder that the world is moving into a new era of nuclear weapon competition, and in order to deter China and Russia, it is necessary — vitally necessary — for the United States to increase its nuclear arsenal,” he told Radio Free Asia.
Wang Weizheng, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Adelphi University, said the missile launch was China’s way of expressing dissatisfaction with recent developments in the Indo-Pacific.
“With President Biden announcing that he will not seek re-election and having only about three months left in his term, Xi Jinping seems intent on delivering a stern message to the U.S. before a new president is elected,” the political science professor told RFA,
“Xi wants the U.S. to recognize the reality that China’s strategic weapons capabilities are no longer what they once were.”
