Politics China justifies missile test against international criticism

China has justified its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile over the Pacific in more than 40 years.

The People's Republic has always pursued a stable and predictable nuclear policy and insisted on keeping its nuclear forces as small as necessary for national security, said Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, in Beijing. The test of the missile forces was a routine exercise.

Countries in the region such as Japan and Taiwan criticized the procedure and rejected China's claims that it had been informed about the test. Taiwan warned of new tensions. According to a Taiwanese authority, China had not announced the missile's flight path or landing point in advance. The foreign ministry of the island republic, which China counts as part of its territory although it has long been governed independently of Beijing, called for restraint.

After Wednesday's test, China withheld details and spoke of a success. The country's nuclear arsenal is estimated at several hundred warheads, which would be significantly less than Russia's and the USA's stockpiles.