The missile, launched Monday from a nuclear-powered submarine, marked China’s second publicly known ballistic missile test into international waters in the Pacific in two years. Beijing described the launch as part of its annual military exercises and indicated that similar tests could continue in the future.

Although the launch drew criticism from several Pacific nations, experts said its principal purpose was to demonstrate the growing strength of China’s strategic nuclear forces.

“The most important message is the PLA is becoming a powerful military with a very strong strategic nuclear capability,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Demonstrating China’s nuclear deterrent

Defense specialists said the submarine-launched missile highlighted the sea-based component of China’s nuclear triad, which combines land, sea and air-based nuclear delivery systems.

Dominic Meagher, a research fellow at Australia’s Crawford School of Public Policy, said the launch also demonstrated China’s second-strike capability — the ability to retaliate with nuclear weapons even after suffering an initial attack because launch platforms remain dispersed at sea or on land.

K. Tristan Tang, a nonresident fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research, described the launch as part of a broader military strategy rather than a one-time event.

“I would see this as a systematic move, not an isolated event,” Tang said in emailed comments.

The missile test comes as China continues expanding its fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. According to a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, China has built such submarines at a faster pace than the United States over the past five years.

Pacific nations voice concern

The launch also renewed sensitivities across the Pacific, where memories of decades of nuclear weapons testing by the United States, Britain and France remain deeply rooted.

Many Pacific Island nations continue to associate nuclear activity with long-term environmental damage and health consequences, including cancers and birth defects linked to historic weapons testing.

Monday’s missile landed within the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone established under the 1986 Treaty of Rarotonga, which prohibits nuclear weapons throughout much of the region. China ratified the treaty’s protocols in 1987, agreeing not to test or threaten to use nuclear weapons within the zone against participating states.

Meagher said previous international outrage over nuclear testing in the Pacific led to agreements such as the Treaty of Rarotonga and broader efforts to limit nuclear testing.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale criticized the launch while speaking to reporters in Honiara.

“China is a good friend of Solomon Islands, but this is not something a friend does. This is not … good in our region,” Wale said.

Meagher noted that although the United States continues conducting missile tests in the Pacific, it avoids the treaty-protected zone.

Questions over notification and transparency

Australia, New Zealand and Japan also expressed concern over the timing of the launch, saying Beijing provided insufficient advance notice.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking during a visit to Honiara on Tuesday, described the missile launch as “a provocative act by China which does destabilize the region.”

He added that the limited warning provided before the test was “of real concern.”

China’s Defense Ministry rejected the criticism, saying relevant countries had been notified in advance and describing the exercise as transparent.

Experts pointed to the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation as the closest international standard for launch notifications. The voluntary framework encourages countries to provide at least 24 hours’ notice before ballistic missile launches, although China is not a participant in the agreement.

Uncertainty over missile type

Questions also remain over which missile China launched.

The People’s Liberation Army has released few operational details. Taiwan’s National Security Council secretary-general said Wednesday that the missile was a JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile fired from waters off Guangdong province.

Chinese state media, however, cited military experts who suggested it was likely the newer JL-3 missile, which has a significantly longer range capable of striking targets across much of the Pacific.

Tong Zhao said China’s expanding military capabilities will likely bring greater international scrutiny as Beijing seeks a larger strategic role.

“If China wants to become a major military power, it should be put under the same standards” as other major nuclear powers such as the United States, Britain and France, he said.

This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.

Article Topics: China | Ballistic Missile | South Pacific | United States | Nuclear Deterrence | Pacific Islands | Regional Security | Military Strategy

The post China’s Ballistic Missile Launch Signals Growing Nuclear Deterrence Amid Regional Tensions appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

On November 29, 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen before it could reach Israel. The missile, which triggered air raid sirens across central Israel at approximately 6:30 a.m., was brought down outside Israel’s borders by the IDF’s Arrow defense system. While the interception occurred at a high altitude, shrapnel from the missile fell within Israeli territory.

The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service reported that four people were lightly injured while rushing to safe rooms in response to the sirens. Additionally, a fifth individual was treated for acute anxiety.

The missile was a surface-to-surface type, and its interception was part of ongoing efforts by the IDF to protect the country from incoming attacks. The Houthi rebels, based in Yemen and aligned with Iran’s “axis of resistance,” have fired over 220 missiles and drones at Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, with a deadly attack by Hamas. The Houthis claim their missile and drone strikes are in support of Palestinians, mirroring the actions of Hamas, which is backed by Iran.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi has vowed to continue the attacks on Israel, even after a truce temporarily halted hostilities between the rebels and Saudi Arabia. In a recent broadcast, Al-Houthi emphasized the Houthis’ role in supporting the Palestinian cause. “The operations from the Yemeni front to support the Palestinian people with missiles and drones towards the Israeli enemy are continuing,” he said.

In retaliation for these missile and drone attacks, Israel has targeted Houthi positions in Yemen, including an airstrike that killed a man in Tel Aviv. The Houthis have also launched a campaign of harassment against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, disrupting vital trade routes. Since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, they have targeted over 80 merchant vessels, including some with no apparent connection to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The rebels claim that these attacks are aimed at vessels associated with Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom, in an effort to pressure these nations to end support for Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the targeted ships have no direct links to the conflict.

Source

The post IDF Intercepts Ballistic Missile Fired from Yemen, Four Injured in Israel appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.