Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian

China hopes all parties in South Asia, including India, will make constructive efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the region, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday in response to India's plan to conduct a trial of intercontinental-range ballistic missile that covers Beijing and other Chinese cities, citing the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172. The resolution condemned India's nuclear bomb tests in 1998 and demanded it to refrain from engaging in further tests.

India is set to conduct its first user trial of nuke capable intercontinental-range ballistic missile Agni-V, the Indian Express reported. The 5,000-km range missile is likely to be flight-tested on September 23, and is capable of hitting targets in all Asian countries and parts of Africa and Europe.

Another Indian media outlet swarajyamag.com said that the missile "will bring Beijing and many other critical Chinese cities within the range of Indian land-based nuclear weapons for the first time, establishing a credible nuclear deterrent."

Responding to India's latest provocations, Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at the Thursday's press briefing that maintaining the peace, security and stability in South Asia is in the common interest of all parties, and China hopes all parties will make constructive efforts to this end.

"As to whether India can develop ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons, the UN Security Council Resolution 1172 has made clear provisions," Zhao said, citing the resolution that condemned the nuclear tests conducted by India in May 1998. The resolution also demanded India to refrain from further nuclear tests, and immediately stop its nuclear weapon development programs, ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and any further production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons.

Global Times