On Wednesday, China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean in a rare test that hasn’t occurred in many years. China’s nuclear weapons and defense budget have grown dramatically in recent years. The Pentagon expressed concern last October that China’s nuclear program was progressing more quickly than expected.
As of May 2023, China possessed more than 500 operational nuclear warheads, and by 2030, the country could have over 1,000. At 8:44 AM on September 25, the Chinese military’s Rocket Force launched the ICBM, which was fitted with a dummy warhead, into the Pacific Ocean. According to the defense ministry, the missile landed in the designated area in the high seas as planned.
Ankit Panda, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted how rare such tests are. “This is extremely unusual and likely the first time in decades that we’ve seen a test like this,” Panda remarked. He added that the test likely reflects new requirements in China’s ongoing nuclear modernization efforts.
The defense ministry emphasized that the launch complied with international law and was a regular part of China’s annual training plan. It also clarified that the missile test was not directed at any specific country or target. China’s last ICBM test into the South Pacific occurred in the 1980s, with more recent tests typically confined to its own airspace.
China’s hypersonic missile tests in 2021 prompted the United States to voice concerns. In November 2022, the two nations engaged in rare talks on nuclear arms control; however, in July, China suspended these discussions in response to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), China has the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world, behind the United States and Russia. As tensions with the U.S. and its regional allies continue to grow, Beijing has continued to modernize its military, proposing a 7.2 percent increase in its defense budget earlier this year.
Although China has historically maintained a relatively modest nuclear arsenal since its first nuclear test in 1964, President Xi Jinping is overseeing a significant military modernization effort. Through this modernization, China aims to improve its defenses against nuclear attacks and deter future threats. However, the Rocket Force, which oversees China’s nuclear operations, has recently been targeted in a broad anti-corruption campaign.
