The Chinese military has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, calling it part of regular training, although the exercise appears to be the first of its kind over the Pacific Ocean in more than 40 years.
According to officials, the ICBM, equipped with a dummy warhead, was launched from an undisclosed location at 8:44am Beijing time on Wednesday, and splashed down in a designated area in international waters.
The test was part of a “routine arrangement in our annual training plan,” the Defense Ministry said.
Analysts have said the ICBM was likely a Dong Feng-41 with an operational range of 15,000 kilometers, or its predecessor, the Dong Feng-31.
China regularly tests short- and mid-range rockets within its territory and over the western Pacific as part of its ballistic missile program, but a test far into international waters is unusual. The last similar launch was believed to be in 1980 when China sent its first ICBM, the Dong Feng-5, into the Pacific Ocean.
“When they haven’t done something for 44 years and then they do it, that’s significant,” James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program, told The Associated Press. “It’s China’s way of telling us, ‘Like you, we’re not ashamed we have nuclear weapons and we’re going to behave like a great nuclear power.’”
The test was tracked by several countries, including Japan and the Philippines. Japan's senior government spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, complained that Tokyo was not informed before the launch.
China's Defense Ministry stated that the test was not directed at any specific country or target, and was conducted in accordance with international law. Beijing also notified several “concerned” countries in advance, Xinhua reported, without specifying which ones.