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The trust problem with China’s ICBM test

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TOPSHOT - This handout photograph taken on September 25, 2024 and released by the Chinese People's Liberation Army News and Communication Center on September 26, 2024, shows the Chinese People's Liberation Army Rocket Force launching an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean, at an undisclosed location. (Photo by HANDOUT / Chinese People's Liberation Army News and Communication Center / AFP) / -----EDITORS NOTE---EDITORIAL USE - MANDATARY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Chinese People's Liberation Army News and Communication Center " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

China’s missile development is a plausible response to the introduction of new military platforms in the region that can reach mainland China.

PHOTO: AFP

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China’s

rare test of an intercontinental ballistic missile

, or ICBM, which was launched into the Pacific Ocean on Sept 25, has sparked concerns among regional countries fearing greater military build-up and the potential for the use of nuclear weapons.

New Zealand, Australia and Fiji have expressed varying degrees of concern, citing the need for transparency, reassurance and respect. These protests come despite a Chinese Defence Ministry statement a few hours after the launch to assuage concerns, chiefly saying that it

was a “routine one”

not targeted at any country.

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