China’s ICBM Launch Tested Both Missile Capability and Geopolitical Waters, Analysts Say

September’s launch of a long-range ICBM in the Pacific—China’s first such test in decades—evaluated the missile’s capabilities and sent a political message.

China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

Last month, the Chinese regime test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the South Pacific for the first time in 44 years, raising concerns among nations in the region.