China launches intercontinental ballistic missile into Pacific in rare test

The Chinese military's Rocket Force launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead to the high seas in the Pacific Ocean  and the missile fell into expected sea areas" on Wednesday, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Beijing has stepped up its nuclear development and boosted defence spending in recent years. China held more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023 and is likely to have more than 1,000 by 2030, it said.