The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) carried out a missile test in the Pacific last month.
The July 6 launch – in which a dummy warhead travelled 8,000km (5,000 miles) – was China’s first confirmed submarine-based missile test since 1982, and the first known firing from a nuclear-powered submarine.
The type of missile used has not been officially confirmed, but a report in the Global Times – a newspaper owned by the party mouthpiece People’s Daily – suggested it was a JL-3, which can be fired from nuclear-powered submarines.
The intercontinental-range ballistic missile is expected to become a key pillar of China’s nuclear arsenal by boosting its ability to strike back in the event of an attack.
The missile programme
The JL-3 made its first public appearance at a giant military parade in Beijing last September.