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China has successfully intercepted in-flight ballistic missiles, according to a statement released by Chinese troops on June 19.
“China has conducted a land-based medium-term missile defense technology test on its territory, and the test has achieved its intended purpose,” the announcement said. Appeared On June 20th in Chinese state media.
“The test was defensive and did not cover any country,” the statement said.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has significantly expanded and modernized its military power under the Xi Jinping administration, which took office as party secretary in 2012. These efforts include nuclear expansion, supersonic orbital bombing systems, and satellite weapons. ..
In particular, weekend testing could mean that the CCP is closer to having its own version of the defense missile system, as the United States is deploying in South Korea. Blame Over the years.
The CCP has historically kept secrets about its missile defense system and has neither confirmed nor denied its exact capabilities, but state media have previously stated that the administration has been conducting missile defense tests since at least 2010. Insisted.
This episode follows the ambition to force autonomous Taiwan to unite with the mainland and a surge in militant rhetoric from the CCP on efforts to promote wedges between the United States and regional partners in the Indo-Pacific.
In a tense meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, China’s Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said the CCP is ready to start a war to prevent Taiwan from being recognized as a nation by the international community. ..
“If someone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will definitely not hesitate to start a war, regardless of cost,” Fenghe said.
Three days later, Xi announced 59 new regulations to the PLA, the military arm of the CCP, to prepare for so-called “non-war” military operations.
The Chinese Communist Party states that Taiwan is a separate state. CCP leader Xi Jinping has vowed to unite the two organizations and has not ruled out the use of power to do so. Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949 and has never been under the control of CCP, but democracy is flourishing.
The United States has acknowledged that the CCP regime has been the only organization on behalf of China since 1979, and currently does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country. The United States maintains its commitment to Taipei as outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, but guarantees that Taiwan will receive the military power it needs to maintain its defenses.
A few days after the turmoil, Taiwan’s top politicians said Taiwan’s domestically mass-produced missiles were able to attack Beijing and the Three Gorges, the world’s largest power plant. Initiate a lasting defense of its de facto independence.
It is currently unknown if the test has new features that it may add to the Chinese arsenal.
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Andrew Thornebrooke is a reporter for The Epoch Times, which deals with China-related issues with a focus on defense, military and national security. He holds a master’s degree in military history from Norwich University.
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