China says ICBM successfully tested in remote Pacific

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00:00Next, China. Tests fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean this

00:05Wednesday, stirring security concerns in a region already tense over Beijing's territorial

00:10claims and rivalry with the US. The issue caused the status of Taiwan, as well as China's

00:16disputed claims to other parts of the South China Sea.

00:23On Wednesday morning in China, residents woke up to a rare announcement on state television

00:29that an intercontinental ballistic missile had been fired into the Pacific Ocean. Details

00:35were revealed by Chinese authorities after the test launch, without specifying whether

00:39it was launched from a submarine or on land.

00:44This is a routine test launch in our annual training plan. It's in line with international

00:49law and international practice and is not directed against any country or target.

00:54China's neighbours, Japan, said they had not been given any notice, and that Beijing's

00:59military build-up, as well as their lack of transparency, were a serious concern. Similar

01:04statements were also given by Australia and New Zealand.

01:08This type of intercontinental ballistic missile is one of the most powerful weapons in the

01:12world and can transport nuclear warheads. China hasn't carried out such a test since

01:18the 1980s.

01:21It's extremely rare, but China is undergoing a pretty substantial expansion of its nuclear

01:28arsenal, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, that is, missiles with the range

01:33to hit basically anywhere in the world, but in particular the United States. And so it

01:42is perhaps not surprising to see that China needs to test that capability to make sure

01:48that it's reliable.

01:49Beijing and Washington are battling for influence in the Pacific. This test launch could put

01:54the question of controlling weapons back on the table. It's a sensitive topic for many

01:59countries in the Pacific because of the track record of nuclear weapons testing in the region.

02:05Selina Sykes there, sensitive, is how she ended that report. I think that underlines

02:09the whole situation. Let's bring in for the analysis Alessio Patilano. Alessio Patilano

02:15is Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia at King's in London. Alessio, always

02:20a pleasure to have you here on France24. We appreciate your analysis. The People's Army

02:25of China, who are behind this launch, put out a statement earlier saying basically nothing

02:29to see here, Governor, everything's OK. But different words, of course. They said it was

02:33within international law and there was no threat. Do we believe that? Do we take solace

02:37in hearing that?

02:39Well, first of all, it's always a delight to be back on the platform. I think the first

02:45thing to say, they're on paper today, absolutely right. What they're doing is testing a capability

02:50that in order to be fully of operational use, it needs to be tested. If no other reasons,

03:00for example, that it tells us something about the PLA's commitment to develop greater capacity

03:08for precision targeting through their own Beidou satellite targeting system. And so

03:15if no other reason, just for that, you want to make sure that this capability is going

03:20to be proven correct. But you are also absolutely right that the context within which this particular

03:28test is taking place is one in which there is an enormous amount of tension already unfolding

03:35in the region. Look at it from a broader global perspective. You have a considerable number

03:41of exercises taking place that Russia is conducting in the Mediterranean, in North Atlantic and

03:47the Baltic regions, as well as in part of the Northeast Asian sector. And China has

03:52joined a part of these training and exercises activities. And so this test comes into a

04:00context where the Chinese have been particularly active and active in a way that flexes their

04:05muscles. And that obviously has been raising concerns across the region.

04:10So the PRC conducting this test, which we can take at face value. But behind that, of

04:14course, there is an element of intimidation, especially on the issue of Taiwan.

04:19I think there is that. But there is also something that needs to be sort of constantly on the

04:24back of our mind. The rocket force was at the center of a number of scandals and some

04:31changes at the very top of the organization. It was also revealed some time ago that some

04:38missiles were not properly stored, they were not properly maintained. So there was a

04:43reputational element at stake here. And of course, long range striking capabilities are

04:49absolutely central to project that capacity for China to be a credible military power,

04:58not just in the region, but in the broader negotiations of a relationship with the United

05:03States. So given recent setbacks and scandals, this test comes also in part as an opportunity

05:10to reinforce and restate the rocket force is a real component, is a real and serious

05:17stakeholder in that strategic game of chess that is unfolding in the broader Indo-Pacific,

05:23certainly between China and the United States. And countries like Japan, like South Korea,

05:29and realities like Taiwan are all paying close attention to it.

05:33So clear message to Washington, as you say, but does this raise the temperature then around the

05:37South China Sea?

05:38In many respects, it does, because we know that the launch was conducted from Hainan,

05:45Hainan, the island in the South China Sea, where the mobile unit that conducted the test,

05:53at least that's what analysts at the moment have come up to focus on as a potential launching site,

06:00and not the usual launching site, reminds us something about the fact that the South

06:06China Sea is not just a theater whereby competition is taking place in the space

06:11of maritime and territorial disputes, but it's also a sub theater on its own terms

06:16that is particularly significant from a strategic perspective insofar as the broader

06:22tensions between the United States and China, and the United States and its partners and China

06:27sort of continue to unfold in that part of the world.

06:31Alessio Patilano, thanks again for joining us. Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia at

06:35King's in London. Always a pleasure to have you here on France24. Thank you very much indeed.

06:39Thank you. We're watching a course for all.

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