The Chinese military launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, the Asian Defense Ministry reported. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) rocket carried an explosive warhead and landed in the intended area, according to the military ministry, which did not use nuclear terminology in the official notice. It is a “routine” action in the annual training plan and that the countries concerned were informed in advance,” according to the Defense.
With the launch, the first of its kind to be made public and which took place at 08:44 local time (00:44 GMT), the PLA aimed to test the performance of its weapons and the effectiveness of its military training, two objectives that were achieved, the ministry added.
The statement did not specify the route taken by the missile or the exact location in the Pacific where it fell. The extreme opacity of China’s nuclear program has drawn criticism from countries such as the United States, which estimates that the Asian giant has more than 500 operational nuclear warheads and could double that number by 2030.
The launch also comes amid rising tensions with Taiwan over the rise of its new president, William Lai (Lai Ching-te), who Beijing regards as a “troublemaker” with separatist intentions. China has considered Taiwan a rebel separatist province since the Kuomintang nationalist troops withdrew there in 1949 after being defeated by the Red Army.
