China said it test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) yesterday, firing it into the Pacific Ocean in its first such exercise in decades.
The launch sparked protests from countries in the region, with Japan saying it had not been given advance notice and expressing “serious concern” about Beijing’s military buildup.
In Taipei, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said it detected “intensive” Chinese missile firing and other drills, but did not give details.
Photo: Reuters
Beijing has stepped up its nuclear development and boosted defence spending over the past few years, with the Pentagon warning in October last year that China was developing its arsenal more quickly than the US had anticipated.
China held more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May last year and is likely to have more than 1,000 by 2030, it said.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force “launched an ICBM ... carrying a dummy warhead to the high seas in the Pacific Ocean at 8:44 on Sept. 25, and the missile fell into expected sea areas,” the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
An analyst said such tests were rare.
“This is extremely unusual and likely the first time in decades that we’ve seen a test like this,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Stanton senior fellow Ankit Panda said.
The test “likely speaks to China’s ongoing nuclear modernization manifesting in new requirements for testing,” he added.
Japan said it was given “no notice from the Chinese side in advance,” with a government spokesman adding that Beijing’s military buildup was a “serious concern.”
Australia said it was seeking “an explanation” over the launch.
New Zealand also said the launch of the missile, which landed in the South Pacific, was “an unwelcome and concerning development.”
The MND said it had detected 23 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters and drones, operating around Taiwan carrying out long-range missions to the southeast and east of the nation.
Taiwan has dispatched its own air and naval forces to keep watch, it said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
‘BOOMING’: ’ The number of partners we have here is incredible. You can see from their stock prices. They’re doing so well, they’re so happy,’ Jensen Huang said Nvidia Corp’s spending in Taiwan has ballooned to about US$150 billion a year, 10 times the US$10 billion to US$15 billion the company spent five years ago, Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said yesterday, suggesting Taiwan’s strategic importance in the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain. “Taiwan is the epicenter of the AI revolution. This is where the chips come, packaging comes. This is where the systems are made. This is where AI supercomputers were created,” Huang said at a meeting for the company’s employees in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) in Taipei, the planned site of Nvidia’s Taipei headquarters. “Taiwan
RSS