BEIJING, September 25, 2024: The country confirmed that it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, a move that will further enflame international concerns about China’s growing nuclear power.
The missile, carrying a mock warhead, was launched by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force at 08:44 a.m. Beijing time (00:44 GMT) on Wednesday. In a statement issued by the Chinese defense ministry, the missile “fell into expected sea areas,” and the launch was part of a “routine arrangement in our annual training plan” and did not target any country.
Beijing said it has informed “the countries concerned in advance” of the test launch, though it did not state where the missile would land or where in the “high seas of the Pacific Ocean” that might be.
Launch Purpose
According to the state media outlet Xinhua, the new launch was designed to “effectively test the performance of weapons and equipment and the training level of the troops,” and it had the “expected goal.” The modernizing of China’s nuclear arsenal falls within the mandate of PLA Rocket Force, which holds responsibility for deterring advancements such as better missile defenses by the United States or enhanced surveillance capabilities.Worries Over Nuclear Build-Up
Analysts are worried that the pace of China’s nuclear expansion is surpassing what would be needed to be achieved to draw up credible minimum deterrence. Beijing has always adhered to a “no first use” nuclear policy and recently confirmed that only the Central Military Commission, led by President Xi Jinping, is legally authorized to issue nuclear command orders.China is believed to be having an arsenal of more than 500 operationally deployed nuclear warheads, which are mostly categorized as ICBMs. Pentagon estimates suggest that by 2030, China may have more than 1,000 warheads and indeed is preparing hundreds of secret silos for land-based ICBMs.
Regional Military Operations
The missile launch comes as military activity around Taiwan has picked up. The Taiwanese defense ministry said its air force and radar detected 23 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters and drones, conducting long-range missions to the southeast and east of the island. Taiwan’s military said it had seen “intensive” Chinese missile firing and drills prompt their own air and naval forces to stay on high alert.
Given the current geopolitical tension, it would not be surprising if the international community keeps a keen eye out for whatever occurrence of Chinese missile capabilities and military postures might take place.
