A spokesperson for China’s defense ministry says Beijing will maintain its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security.
Zhang Xiaogang made the remark at a news conference on Thursday, a day after China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile. The ministry said the ICBM carrying a dummy warhead landed in the Pacific high seas.
The spokesperson said the launch was aimed at testing weapon performance and was part of routine military training.
He said China had notified relevant countries in advance of the test launch and demonstrated its military’s transparency.
Japan’s top government spokesperson, Hayashi Yoshimasa, said Tokyo had not been informed before the launch.
Referring to nuclear-capable ICBMs, Zhang described China’s nuclear policy as “stable, consistent and predictable.” He added Beijing does not seek an arms race.
China’s launch on Wednesday is believed to be the first time since 1980 that it has tested an ICBM over an ocean.
The United States and other countries are wary of China building up its nuclear capabilities faster than expected.
The spokesperson for China’s defense ministry did not specify the type of ICBM launched on Wednesday, but some experts think it was a Dongfeng-41 or Donfeng-31 AG based on its estimated landing point. Those missiles are capable of reaching the US mainland.
The latest launch is apparently intended to showcase China’s enhanced nuclear capabilities to the US and its allies.