Intercontinental Missile Fired for the First Time in 44 Years by China, 4 Major Abnormalities Detected

Hello everyone, welcome to Newsline Five, today’s co-hosts are Jinshi, Fuyao, Qin Peng, Qinyue, and myself, Yuting. With diverse perspectives and clashes of opinions, we will guide you through a rich news world. Feel free to subscribe and like our independent channel.

Today’s focus: Intercontinental missile first launch in 44 years, 4 major abnormalities! Rocket forces in decline? Notification “mocks” Japan, CCP playing with fire; Weakness of Dongfeng-41 missile! Launch from Hainan with intentions; Fallen princelings: High likelihood of defeat; “Old friends” abandoning CCP, may lead to encirclement.

Once hailed by the CCP leadership, the Rocket Force made a significant move this week. On September 25th, the Chinese military unusually admitted to launching an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a “training simulation warhead” towards the Pacific Ocean. Authorities claimed it accurately landed in the designated area. Japan’s Defense Ministry estimated the warhead eventually landed in the southern Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. China stated that the missile launch was part of annual military exercises, in compliance with international law and norms, not targeting any specific country or entity. However, China’s actions have indeed raised concerns in the international community regarding its nuclear capabilities expansion.

So, what is China’s strength, the motives behind this action, and what impact will it have on the Indo-Pacific region? Today, let’s delve into the discussion.

Q1 First, Qinyue, could you introduce why China’s recent action is so rare?

Answer: The first rarity is the ability to carry nuclear warheads. This launch likely involved the latest Dongfeng-41 missile, similar to the U.S. Minuteman missile, capable of nuclear warheads, indicating a challenge to the world’s “no first use” nuclear weapon policy.

“I am not targeting individuals, but everyone present.”

The second rarity is the launch location. China rarely launches long-range missiles into the sea. Previously, such tests were carried out in remote provinces like Inner Mongolia. China’s rocket launch towards the South Pacific is only the second one since 1980.

The third rarity is the public nature of the launch. China’s public announcement of this intercontinental missile launch is highly unusual, marking the first public ocean trial of an intercontinental ballistic missile in 44 years.

Q2 Fourth, why did China choose this particular moment for such a rare action? Is it seeking confrontation with the U.S. by landing near Hawaii? Fuyao, what do you think is the purpose behind China’s recent actions?

Q3-1 Jinshi, how do you assess China’s nuclear missile capabilities? At what stage are they, posing a significant threat to the free world?

Q3-2 Fuyao, the Rocket Force underwent a leadership change previously. Has the force been renewed with increased capabilities?

Q4, International responses to China’s missile test vary. Qinyue, could you summarize the reactions from different parties?

Answer: The U.S. deployed an RC-135 plane to track the missile and collect data. China claimed to have provided advanced notice to “relevant countries,” but Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, stated they received no prior notification, expressing serious concerns about China’s increased defense budget and lack of military transparency.

Additionally, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Foreign Minister called China’s actions “unwelcome and alarming.” Australia also expressed worries on the 25th: “The Australian government has sought an explanation from China.” China’s launch has sparked a series of concerns internationally.

In my view, the main reasons for global anxiety towards China stem from its lack of military transparency. If a regime rises with diminishing transparency during the ascent, who would want to witness such a rise of power?

Economically, China releases unreliable GDP data; in energy and environmental aspects, it conceals industrial projects and environmental data under the guise of “state secrets”; accessing Chinese military publications is increasingly difficult and so on. Hence, it’s understandable why countries are concerned.

Q5, This year, we’ve seen an increase in Chinese provocations towards the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan, stirring up regional disputes in the Indo-Pacific region. Now with the rare sea-launched intercontinental missile test, will China’s actions escalate tensions in the Indo-Pacific region?

Not just in the Indo-Pacific region, China has been found supporting authoritarian regimes and even terrorist groups in the battles of “Ha” and “Ukraine.” Regardless of how China portrays this missile launch as routine training, its implications go beyond that, posing a potential challenge to regional and global peace and stability. How will the international community respond next? I will continue to monitor and report for you.