The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a dummy warhead to the high seas in the Pacific Ocean at 08:44 am on September 25, 2024, and the missile fell into expected sea areas. Photo: Screenshot from the social media account of the PLA's news media center

China's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch on Wednesday is a routine military training that is completely legitimate and reasonable, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

The launch aimed to test the performance of weapon and equipment, as well as troops training level, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang said at a regular press conference on Thursday.

Zhang stressed that China's nuclear policy is highly stable, consistent and predictable. 

China always follows a policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense, does not engage in an arms race, committed itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states or in nuclear-free region, and keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required by national security, the spokesperson said.

The PLA's news media center on Thursday released photos of the test launch of ICBM on Chinese social media platforms, showing the moment the missile was launched.

Zhang's remarks came after the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that the PLA Rocket Force launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a dummy warhead to the high seas in the Pacific Ocean at 08:44 am on Wednesday, and the missile fell into expected sea areas.

The Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday that China had informed the relevant countries prior to the launch.

The Pentagon praised China for its transparency before the test launch, which helped prevent miscalculation, in a sign that military communication between the two countries is improving, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that China is engaged in the development of its armed forces and has the full right to test missiles, Russian news agency Tass reported on Wednesday.

AP reported on Thursday that "China rarely tests ICBMs out in international waters, with some experts tracing the last such deployment back to May 1980."

The test verified the reliability of the PLA's nuclear arsenal, a crucial component of credible nuclear deterrence, vital to both China's national defense and global peace and stability, according to experts reached by the Global Times.