China conducted its first ballistic missile test outside its borders since 1980

Military vehicles carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles in Tiananmen Square, during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, in Beijing, October 1, 2019. JASON LEE / REUTERS China carried out on the night of Tuesday September 24 to Wednesday, September 25, an intercontinental ballistic missile launch in the Pacific, considered a first in several decades. This missile, which only carried a dummy warhead – as is customary in this type of exercise – was launched from the island of Hainan, in the very south of China. It flew over Japan before crashing into the sea, 11,700 kilometers away, not far from French Polynesia. According to Chinese media, it is a Dongfeng-31. Even if this is not the first time that Beijing has carried out tests of this type, “usually, China conducts them on its own territory, because it has space”, underlines Héloïse Fayet, researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). Japan was indignant at not having been “warned” of this maneuver. Australia demanded an “explanation” from Beijing, while New Zealand deemed the shot “unwelcome and worrying”. During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, France, like the United States, indicated that it had been notified by the Chinese authorities of this test. In a laconic press release, the Chinese Ministry of Defense simply announced on Wednesday that “this launch is part of the annual routine training program of the missile force”. “It is consistent with international law and practice and does not target any specific country or target,” he added, while welcoming that the device fell “precisely in the predetermined maritime zone”. Also read the survey | Article reserved for our subscribers The new youth of nuclear deterrence Add to your selections This test “probably testifies to the Chinese modernization underway in this area, which is manifested by new needs in terms of testing”, declared to the Agence France-Presse Ankit Panda, a researcher, member of the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace. Gaining respectability “It’s a message sent to Washington,” said Marc Julienne, director of the IFRI Asia Center, while the missile tested passed not far from the island of Guam. This launch demonstrates to China’s competitors that its missile force is fully operational and credible, as are its nuclear deterrent capabilities. » With its current arsenal, China can already reach the territory of the United States and targets located in the Indo-Pacific. This test comes at the end of a period marked by significant turmoil within the Chinese army, against a backdrop of corruption and operational shortcomings. In June 2023, President Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, abruptly replaced the two main commanders of the missile force with two military personnel from other arms. Around the same time, the last two defense ministers, Wei Fenghe (in office from 2018 to March 2023) and his successor Li Shangfu (from March 2023 to October 2023), were even ousted for corruption. You have 49.58% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.



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