Beijing flexes nuclear muscle with rare intercontinental ballistic missile launch

China said it successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean, a move that is sure to send global jitters over its burgeoning nuclear arsenal.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force launched a missile with a dummy warhead at 8:44 a.m. Beijing time (0044 GMT) on Wednesday, as per the statement of the Chinese defense ministry. The Chinese defense ministry said, According to Xinhua

“The missile fell into expected sea areas, the ministry said, adding that this was a routine arrangement in the annual training plan and relevant countries had been notified in advance.”

A report from the state news agency Xinhua mentioned that China had “informed the countries concerned in advance” but did not provide details on the missile’s flight path or its precise landing location in the “high seas of the Pacific Ocean.”

According to Xinhua, “The launch effectively tested the performance of weapons and equipment and the training level of the troops, and achieved the expected goal.”.

The Japan Coast Guard said Monday it had received a navigation warning from China about possible “space debris” in three areas: the South China Sea, the Pacific north of the Philippines’ Luzon island, and the South Pacific. Official spokeswoman Kiyomi Maeda said she could not comment on whether this warning is related to the missile launch.

It is rare that China tests its missiles this far from land, as most tests in the past have been conducted in provinces far and away from population centers, such as Inner Mongolia, analysts say.

The PLA Rocket Force, responsible for controlling China’s nuclear and conventional missile arsenal, is modernizing fast to keep pace with the development of U.S. missile defenses, high-tech surveillance, and other enhanced partnerships, according to analysts.

Alexander Neill, a Singapore-based security analyst, said this test lacked confirmed facts about the missile, but continued to point at a pattern of China’s strategy of “engaging and warning.” He advised that this is a reminder of China’s strong strategic deterrents capabilities amidst the improvement of military diplomacy between Beijing and Washington in the past few months.

This step is designed to show in ordinary words that the way it is bringing its strategic deterrent is still effective,” said Neill, an adjunct fellow with Honolulu-based Pacific Forum think-tank.

Observers pointed out that the launch came from Hainan, rather than the usual inland silo, which may indicate that the test involved one of China’s increasingly large numbers of road-mobile long-range missiles. Analyses assert that the rapid nuclear expansion by China may leave it with more than the minimum strategic arsenal required to deter attacks—the conventional definition of credible minimum deterrence.

While its nuclear weapons policy has been in place since “no first use” from the beginning, China has been swiftly constructing a triad of nuclear forces that can launch attacks from the land, sea, and air and has thus emerged to be on equal footing with the other major nuclear powers.

The PLA reiterated that the Central Military Commission, headed by President Xi Jinping, is the sole command authority for its nuclear arsenal.

The U.S has, however criticized China for lack of openness in its nuclear buildup. Nuclear relations between the two nations have been at a standstill since July after Washington sold Taiwan arms worth billions of dollars.

According to Pentagon estimates from last year, China has more than 500 operational nuclear warheads, with about 350 of which being ICBMs, and is projected to be armed with more than 1,000 warheads by 2030. According to the Pentagon report, hundreds of silos for land-based ICBMs are being built by China.

In contrast, the U.S. and Russia have 1,770 and 1,710 deployed operational nuclear warheads, respectively. The Pentagon noted that most of China’s weapons would be saved at higher readiness levels by 2030.

Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, has witnessed a steep surge in Chinese military activities near the island during the last five years.

Taiwan’s defense ministry reported on Wednesday it had detected 23 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters and drones, flying long-range missions to the southeast and east of the island.

The ministry also said there have been “intensive” Chinese missile drills and other exercises over the past couple of days, which it did not specify by location. In relation to this, Taiwan has placed its air and naval forces on full alert to closely monitor the situation.

According to The Guardian, “This is extremely unusual and likely the first time in decades that we’ve seen a test like this,” Ankit Panda, Stanton Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said.

“(The test) likely speaks to China’s ongoing nuclear modernization manifesting in new requirements for testing,” he added.