Evidence points to ICBM test on Monday as Beijing responds to Russia and America’s intensified nuclear tests
China is likely to have tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could strike anywhere in the United States just two days before President Donald Trump’s Beijing visit.
Chinese military experts said the tests were intended to send a message to the US by highlighting China’s nuclear capability at a time when both the US and Russia are intensifying their own tests of ICBMs and hypersonic vehicles.
However, it was unclear whether the test had been deliberately timed to coincide with Trump’s visit.
On Sunday, Beijing announced an air closure zone over an area in Gobi Desert that has been used in the past to test China’s newest ICBM the DF-41.
The announcement said the 53-minute closure would end at around 9am on Monday, two days before Trump arrived in Beijing.
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The DF-41 which has a range of 12,000km is one of the most cutting-edge weapons in the People’s Liberation Army.
The missile is equipped with two multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles, each of which is capable of carrying several warheads. Its range allows the PLA to strike anywhere inside the US.
The Chinese foreign ministry declined to confirm whether it had conducted a test following a query from the South China Morning Post. The defence ministry did not reply to this newspaper’s questions on Thursday evening.
Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator with Phoenix TV, said it was possible the PLA’s Rocket Force had conducted ICBM tests in the air-closure zone in Gobi Desert, on Monday following its announcement of closure.
The location has previously been used for ground-based, high-altitude anti-missile tests and other ICBM tests.
