China test-fires intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean

China has successfully fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean, the country’s defense ministry announced on Wednesday. It’s the first time such a test has been publicly carried out and acknowledged.

The missile, which was carrying a dummy warhead, was launched by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force at 8:44 a.m. Beijing time on Wednesday, according to a statement from China’s National Defense Ministry.

The ICBM fell in the high seas of the Pacific Ocean in an area where it was designated to fall, the ministry said. The exact location was not disclosed but state-run media said the “countries concerned” had been notified in advance.

“This missile launch is a routine arrangement of annual military training, in line with international law and international practice, and is not directed at any specific country or target,” the ministry said.

In October 2019, China unveiled its most advanced ICBM to date, the nuclear-capable Dongfeng-41 (DF-41), at a military parade in Beijing. It’s unknown if this missile was the one which was used for Wednesday’s test.

“The launch tested weaponry performance and military training effectiveness and achieved desired goals,” the Xinhua news agency added.

The Offices of Homeland Security and Civil Defense in Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, said it monitored Wednesday’s test in conjunction with federal and military partners. “No immediate threat was assessed for Guam or the Marianas from the reported launch,” Homeland Security Advisor Esther Aguigui said.

It’s the first time China has conducted an ICBM test in such a public way. Previous ones were typically carried out in Chinese airspace.

“This is extremely unusual and likely the first time in decades that we’ve seen a test like this,” Ankit Panda, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told AFP. “It likely speaks to China’s ongoing nuclear modernisation manifesting in new requirements for testing.”

Panda said the defense ministry’s statement was “odd” for describing the missile test as routine and annual. “They don’t do this sort of thing either routinely or annually,” he said.