CHINA has launched a nuclear-capable missile into the Pacific Ocean, the first test in 40 years in a major warning to the West.
The ICBM was launched by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force and carried a dummy warhead, China said.
ReutersMilitary vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles in a Beijing parade[/caption]
APSpectators wave Chinese flags near DF-41 nuclear ballistic missiles[/caption]
Ministry of National Defence of The People’s Republic of ChinaChinese President Xi Jinping reviews a naval parade in the South China Sea.[/caption]
The test was held just before 2am Wednesday morning UK time.
The Chinese defence ministry said in a statement the rocket “fell into expected sea areas,” and that it was a “routine arrangement in our annual training plan”.
It said the test was not directed at any country or target.
China “informed the countries concerned in advance,” and said it fell into the “high seas of the Pacific Ocean”, a media report also claimed.
A Japan Coast Guard official said it had received a navigation warning from China on Monday for “space debris”.
The warning identified three zones in the South China Sea, the Pacific north of the Philippines’ Luzon island, and in the South Pacific.
The test comes as tensions with the West have spiked in the South China Sea as Chinese Coast Guard vessels have rammed Filipino boats.
World leaders are also gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly where diplomacy is high on agendas.
It is rare for China to fire long-range missiles into the sea usually using isolated provinces such as Inner Mongolia as test sites.
AP:Associated PressChina’s neighbour and ally North Korea is aslo known to threaten the West with missile tests[/caption]
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