China test-fires intercontinental ballistic missile into Pacific Ocean amid Taiwan tension

China test-fires ICBM into Pacific Ocean, raising regional security concerns amid territorial disputes and U.S. rivalry.

China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday (September 25, 2024), stirring security concerns in the region already tense over Beijing's territorial claims and rivalry with the U.S.

The ICBM carried a dummy warhead and fell into a designated area of the sea, the Defence Ministry said in a statement posted to social media.

The launch by the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force was part of routine annual training, complied with international law and was not directed against any country or target, according to the statement.

It is unclear how often China conducts tests over such a distance. In 1980, China launched an ICBM into the South Pacific.

A map published in Chinese newspapers at the time showed the target area as roughly a circle in the center of a ring formed by the Solomon Islands, Nauru, the Gilbert Islands, Tuvalu, western Samoa, Fiji and the New Hebrides.

The U.S. and non-governmental organisations have said China has been building up its missile silos, but it's unclear how many missiles and nuclear warheads it has added to its arsenal.

Tests of China’s intercontinental ballistic missiles into international waters are rare. Experts and a historical survey of China’s program by the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative suggest the last occurred in May 1980. That test saw China launch its DF-5 missile into the South Pacific.