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China, which has one of the world’s most secretive nuclear programs, today carried out its first public release for decades ballistic missile a far-reaching, unexpected move that comes amid growing tensions in Taiwan and in coincidence with UN General Assembly.

He Ministry of Defense Asian countries said in a statement that People’s Liberation Army (EPL) launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean at 8:44 a.m. local time on Wednesday. explosive warhead and landed in the planned area.

The War Office did not use nuclear terminology in the official note, and limited itself to commenting that it was “a routine action in an emergency.” annual training and that the countries concerned were notified of this in advance.”

With the launch, the first of its kind to be unveiled in more than four decadesThe EPL sought to “test the effectiveness of its armament And efficiency military training”, two goals were achieved, the ministry added.

He release It does not specify the route of the missile or the exact location in the Pacific Ocean where it landed.

This is the first time in 44 years that China public A proof this type. He did it before in 1980 yearwhen the DF-5 took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the north of the country and flew more than 9,000 kilometers over the South Pacific Ocean.

The launch coincides with recent tensions with Taiwan and in the sea South Chinaincreasingly frequent scenes of clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships, potentially leading to conflict between Washington And Beijingand after the last meeting Four-seateran alliance formed by the United States, Japan, India and Australia to strengthen their cooperation in Indo-Pacific region.

Opaque nuclear program

Experts believe that today’s launch is aimed at evaluate That reliability belonging ballistic missiles the country’s intercontinental missiles: “They launched a missile towards a certain area to make sure that it could complete the specified trajectory and that its army had technology mature And reliable“.

“The missile being tested could be a DF-31 or DF-41 and would be aimed at dissuading other countries from seeking nuclear coercion “against China,” said military analyst Song Zhongping, quoted by the South China Morning Post.

The extreme opacity of China’s nuclear program has drawn criticism from countries such as USAaccording to which the Asian giant has more than 500 active nuclear warheads and could double that figure by 2030.

In this sense, the report New York Times This summer it became known that US President Joe Biden approved strategic plan focus US nuclear policy on expansion of chinese arsenalwhich caused “serious concern” in Beijing.

At the same time, Chinese officials insist that it is the United States that continues expanding our arsenal nuclear in some senseirresponsibleand under the pretext of a “non-existent Chinese nuclear threat.”

Beijing ensures that it accepts nuclear self-defense strategymaintaining its arsenal at the minimum level necessary to ensure national security and adhering to a “no first use” policy.

China is not part of any disarmament treatyand have previously refused to engage in dialogues such as the nuclear arms control dialogue between Russia and the United States, arguing that their nuclear weapons stockpiles are too large. below to these countries.

However, Chinese officials have acknowledged that the country was development of medium-range missilesbut what are they in their territoryalthough they have publicly demonstrated their concern about “American expansion in China’s neighborhoods.”

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Today’s launch also comes in the midst of increasing tensions with Taiwan in connection with the coming to power of its new president, William Lai (Lai Jing-de), who is considered in Beijing to be “troublemakerwith separatist intentions.

China considers Taiwan a rebellious separatist province since Nationalist Kuomintang troops withdrew there in 1949 after being defeated by the Red Army.

EFE