After undergoing multiple rounds of purges within the Rocket Force, the Chinese military announced on Wednesday (25th) that it would launch an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. This move has raised concerns in the international community about the military expansion of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Analysts believe that this missile test by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sends three distinct signals, particularly related to the corruption scandal within the Rocket Force.
According to the announcement published by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense website in both Chinese and English, on September 25th, the Chinese Rocket Force launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a training simulation warhead into the designated sea area of the Pacific Ocean, achieving accurate impact. This missile launch is part of the routine annual military training arrangement, compliant with international laws and norms, and not targeting any specific country or entity.
Chinese media outlet Observer noted that this marked the first full-range test of an intercontinental ballistic missile by China since 1980, a gap of 44 years.
Following the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile by the Chinese military into the Pacific, the international community expressed concerns regarding the action.
The U.S. Department of Defense stated that China had given prior notification to the United States about the intercontinental ballistic missile launch.
In response to inquiries from Radio Free Asia, the Pentagon said, “We are monitoring the situation surrounding today’s earlier intercontinental ballistic missile test (by China).”
American defense analyst John Ridge suggested that China’s test might be a form of signaling towards the United States.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga expressed serious concerns about China’s significant increase in defense budget and its lack of transparency regarding military developments.
According to reports from Kyodo News, the Japan Coast Guard indicated that China designated three sea areas on the evening of the 23rd as the drop zones for “space debris”, notifying Japan that the debris would fall into these areas between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the 25th. These designated sea areas include two near the island of Luzon in the Philippines and one south of Hawaii in the Pacific.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense speculated that after the launch, the missile separated into two parts in the sea areas near Luzon, with the warhead ultimately falling into the South Pacific off Hawaii.
Suga emphasized, “We will continue to diligently collect and analyze necessary information, and intensively conduct surveillance and monitoring.”
A spokesperson for the New Zealand Foreign Minister also described China’s actions as an “unwelcome and unsettling development.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense indicated that it is closely monitoring recent intensive missile shooting exercises conducted by the Chinese military and employing joint intelligence surveillance methods, as well as deploying appropriate aircraft, ships, and land-based missile systems as necessary.
Currently, China’s nuclear arsenal is significantly smaller than that of the United States, and its military power cannot compete with the U.S. Analysts suggest that this missile test by China may be related to dispelling rumors surrounding the corruption scandal within the Rocket Force.
Wang Weizheng, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Edify University in the U.S. and a professor of political science, explained on Radio Free Asia that China’s launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile sends three signals: strong diplomatic significance, military implications, and internal political meanings.
Weizheng highlighted the diplomatic significance of this missile launch as a clear expression of dissatisfaction with recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region, serving as a deterrent and warning to the U.S.
Regarding China’s domestic situation, Weizheng suggested that “Xi Jinping aims to signal that the crackdown on the Rocket Force is over and firmly under his control.”
From a military perspective, Zhao Tong, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated that China’s high-profile intercontinental missile launch sends a strong signal, partly in response to increasing international doubts about the stability and combat capability of the Chinese Rocket Force.
Prior to the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile by China, there had been ongoing purges within the Rocket Force and the entire military-industrial system.
Since July of last year, the CCP leader initiated a large-scale cleansing within the military, particularly targeting the Rocket Force (formerly known as the Second Artillery Corps) responsible for managing land-based nuclear and conventional ballistic missiles. Three commanders of the Rocket Force, two defense ministers, and several senior officials of military-industrial enterprises were successively implicated.
U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that corruption within the military has eroded confidence in the overall strength of the Chinese military, especially concerning the Rocket Force, reducing the likelihood of significant military actions being taken by Xi Jinping in the near future.