A warning shot? China fires ICBM in rare test

China announced today (Wednesday) that it successfully launched an ICBM into the pacific ocean in a rare missile test, causing concerns about regional security, according to DW.

China claims this was a "routine arrangement in our annual training plan" and not directed at any country or target, though this is the first time in a long time they have conducted such a test - according to the BBC, they have not done so in decades.

China claimed they notified neighboring countries in advance about the test, but a top Japanese government official said that they received no such advance notice.

The Pentagon assesses that China has about 500 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, 350 of which are meant for ICBMs, and that China will hit 1,000 warheads by 2030.