September’s launch of a long-range ICBM in the Pacific—the first such test in decades—evaluated the missile’s capabilities and sent a political message.
Last month, China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the South Pacific for the first time in 44 years, raising concerns among nations in the region.
The rare test delivered political messaging amid tensions in the Western Pacific region, particularly in the South China Sea. It also had a pragmatic purpose, experts told The Epoch Times: evaluating the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF).
The missile, which carried a dummy warhead, was believed by analysts to be China’s newest ICBM, the Dong Feng-41 (DF-41) or an older ICBM, the Dong Feng-31AG (DF-31AG). Dong Feng means “East Wind” in Chinese.
The DF-41 is China’s longest-range ICBM, capable of going 12,000 to 15,000 km (7,500 to 9,500 miles). The DF-31AG has a shorter range of 7,000 to 11,700 km (4,300 miles to 7,300 miles).
Fired on Sept. 25 from an undisclosed location—widely believed to be a site on Hainan Island, which sits north of the South China Sea—the missile traveled approximately 12,000 kilometers (7,456 miles) and landed near French Polynesia, a group of islands that includes Tahiti.
Beijing has called the launch a “routine arrangement” on the part of the PLARF. Other countries with long-range missiles, such as the United States, Russia, and India, routinely conduct such tests.
However, the Chinese military has not fired a long-range missile into the Pacific since 1980. In past years, China has tested its missiles inland, mostly in the remote deserts of northwest China.
It’s possible the reason for the site change is strictly technical, according to Denny Roy, senior fellow at the Honolulu-based East-West Center.
“Chinese engineers might have felt they needed to test fly a missile with a long, relatively flat trajectory, which is more similar to how they would use a long-range missile in combat, rather than usual lofted trajectory to keep the flight within or near Chinese borders,” Roy told The Epoch Times in an email interview.
“Having said that, there are several possible intended political messages.”
By Lily Zhou
