China Test-Fires ICBM For First Time IN Decades

China has said it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean.

The ICBM 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.

This is believed to be the first time since 1980 that it launched an ICBM into international waters.

China’s government claims the launch does not target any country, but there are high-levels of tension between China and Japan, Philippines, and of course perpetual tension with Taiwan.”

John Ridge, a US-based defence analyst, said China could have conducted the test as a form of “posturing or signalling to the United States”.

While the relationship between Beijing and Washington has improved in the past year, China’s increasing assertiveness in the region remains a sticking point.

BBC