China has announced the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the “high seas” of the Pacific Ocean, flying over the northern point

China test launches intercontinental ballistic missile for first time in decades

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2024-09-25 13:00:07

China has announced the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the “high seas” of the Pacific Ocean, flying over the northern point of the Philippines in what is believed to be the first such test since the early 1980s.

The missile launch, which the defence ministry said was carrying a dummy warhead, comes at a time of growing international scrutiny of the country’s nuclear arsenal, and prompted statements of concern from several nations.

The ICBM was launched by the People’s Liberation Army rocket force (PLARF) at 8:44am Beijing time on Wednesday. The Chinese defence ministry said the launch was part of a “routine arrangement in our annual training plan”, and the missile “fell into expected sea areas”. It did not provide further details except to say that the launch was not directed at any specific country or target.

A separate report by state mouthpiece Xinhua said China had notified the “concerned” country or countries in advance, but did not say which ones.