China Launches Pacific ICBM Test, Tensions Rise

China announced it conducted a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a "simulated warhead" into the Pacific Ocean, an uncommon maneuver that could escalate tensions with the United States and its allies.

China's military stated that the launch by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force occurred at 8:44 a.m. on Wednesday. The missile descended into the "anticipated" area, it added, without specifying the location. ICBMs are engineered to transport a nuclear warhead to a target several thousand miles distant.

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"This test launch is a routine component of our annual training schedule," the Defense Ministry declared in a statement on social media. "It complies with international law and international practice and is not aimed at any specific country or target."

The launch occurs as China and the US grapple with a range of persistent tensions. The issues include the status of Taiwan, which China aspires to bring under its control and the US has vowed to defend in the event of an invasion.

The PLA Rocket force has been under scrutiny in recent years, with high-ranking officials investigated for corruption. US intelligence agencies reportedly believe the extensive purge ensued after it emerged that widespread graft undermined President Xi Jinping's efforts to modernize the armed forces and raised questions about China's capacity to engage in warfare.

The Pentagon cautioned last year that China has continued efforts to modernize, diversify and expand its nuclear arsenal. It estimated the number of operational warheads at approximately 500 — and likely exceeding 1,000 by 2030.

"My perception is China's nuclear modernization has prompted a reassessment of testing requirements," said Ankit Panda, Stanton Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "This missile may be part of a newer generation of ICBMs that have previously never been tested in the Pacific. It's yet another indication of the new nuclear era dawning in Asia."

The test from China comes as US adversaries Russia and North Korea have intensified their programs to deploy ICBMs capable of striking the American mainland.

Last year, North Korea tested its solid-fuel Hwasong-18 ICBM with leader Kim Jong Un in attendance. That ICBM flew farther than any of North Korea's other long-range missiles and appeared designed to carry multiple nuclear weapons payloads, which enhances the probability that at least one bomb could evade interceptors and reach its target.

This month, Russia appeared to experience a setback in its ICBM program when its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile – known in the West as Satan II – suffered a "catastrophic failure" during a test launch, the Guardian newspaper reported. It stated that satellite imagery revealed a crater at a launch site, suggesting that it exploded in a silo.