China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean this week. Why the Pacific, and why now?
China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean this week in a rare occurrence, further adding to tensions in the region where multiple countries have overlapping territorial claims and both Beijing and Washington seek to project their influence.
China rarely tests ICBMs out in international waters, with some experts tracing the last such deployment back to May 1980, when Beijing launched a DF-5 missile into the South Pacific.Why the Pacific, why now? The test also comes weeks ahead of an expected call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden.
The launch, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, "is a pretty blunt signal" to the international order, said senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, Drew Thompson. Its aim could be to both provide assurances at home and signal to the world that the issues have been resolved.China boasts the world's largest standing army and the biggest navy.According to the US, China also has the largest air force in the Indo-Pacific, with more than half of its fighter planes consisting of fourth- or fifth-generation models.
Pacific Ocean Intercontinental Ballistic Missile ICBM War Missile Army Military Chinese Military China Military Defence Ministry
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