China has said it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean.
The ICMB was launched at 08:44 local time (04:44 GMT) on Wednesday and "fell into expected sea areas", Beijing's defence ministry said, adding that the test launch was "routine" and part of its "annual training".
The type of missile and its flight path remained unclear, but Chinese state media said Beijing had "informed the countries concerned in advance".
Japan later said that it received "no notice" of the test launch.
China's nuclear weapon tests usually take place domestically, and it previously test-fired ICBMs west into the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang region.
This is believed to be the first time since 1980 that it launched an ICBM into international waters.
"Unless I'm missing something, I think this is essentially the first time this has happened - and been announced as such - in a long time," Ankit Panda, a nuclear weapons specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on X.
He added that Beijing's description of the test as "routine" and "annual" was odd, "given that they don't do this sort of thing either routinely or annually".
The Japanese government said on Wednesday that China had given it no prior notice of the ICBM launch.
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@IndependenceCodForward2yrs2Y
But why?
Even a full-scale war wouldnt deter the West, as we have seen from Russia's situation. The only thing it could achieve is to scare the Taiwanese compatriots, but they already know perfectly well that Mainland can raze them to the ground in a blink of an eye.
@GnuEleanorVeteran2yrs2Y
Needs routine test to ensure all US cities can be accurately targeted with nuclear payloads.
You don't need ICBM for Taiwan
@IndependenceCodForward2yrs2Y
Sure, but thats not done once in decades.
@6FQDS6ZRepublican2yrs2Y
The deterrent effect of the war between Russia and Ukraine and nuclear war is completely different. Just as Putin has recently emphasized strategic nuclear weapons from time to time, this ICBM test is to remind the West, especially US, not to try to further escalate the conflict.
The missile used for this test is believed to be the Dongfeng-41 (DF-41), one of China's most advanced ICBMs, which has a range capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Beijing clarified that the test complied with international law and was not directed at any specific nation.
@LapwingChrisDemocrat2yrs2Y
The missile appears to have been launched from Hainan Island, an unusual location, and the warhead impacted in the South Pacific some 12,000 km away.
Last time China did this was in 1980 with a silo DF-5. This potentially involved a mobile DF-41 ICBM.
For China to take this step should mean a step up in tensions with the US. Making sure that everything is in working order, observing ISR responses of the US, and sending a msg not to push things further.
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