China test-fires ICBM with ‘dummy’ warhead, after Biden touts US relationship with Japan, South Korea

(HONG KONG and LONDON) — The Chinese military test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific on Wednesday, marking the first known launch of an ICBM in decades, officials said.

The People’s Liberation Army launched the ICBM carrying a “dummy warhead” into the “high seas” at about 8:44 in the morning, the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement. The missile splashed down into the area where they had planned for it to fall, the ministry said. Local media reported that the launch was the first such test since 1980.

“This test launch is a routine arrangement in our annual training plan,” the ministry said. “It is in line with international law and international practice and is not directed against any country or target.”

China’s official Xinhua news agency said “relevant countries” had been notified in advance. But Japanese officials weren’t notified prior to the launch, the country’s chief cabinet secretary told reporters on Wednesday afternoon in Tokyo.

“There was no notification beforehand and, according to the comprehensive analysis, we have been confirmed that it flew over our territory and there was no damage recorded,” Hayashi Yoshimasa said, according to an official translation.

The Chinese military’s Rocket Force has been under some domestic scrutiny over the past year, after some top generals were purged last summer over alleged corruption related to equipment procurement. The test-firing may be viewed internationally as a signal of the military’s readiness, despite those purges, which saw two former defense ministers expelled from the Communist Party.

The test launch comes days before Beijing is set to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC on Oct. 1.

The test-fire also comes as the U.N. General Assembly meets in New York, where U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on Tuesday of his efforts to build a strong trilateral relationship with Japan and South Korea. Those relationships have been part of Biden’s strategy to counter China’s influence in the region.

“These partnerships are not against any nation,” Biden said on Tuesday. “They’re building blocks for a free, open, secure, peaceful Indo-Pacific.”

The United States in April said it had deployed mid-range missiles to Philippines. And Yoshimasa of Japan said on Wednesday that China’s defense budget had been increasing rapidly “without any visibility,” adding that China has been expanding their presence near Japanese territory “with a lack of transparency” about their movement.

“This is a very serious concern for Japan and the international society,” Yoshimasa said.

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