China releases video of anti-missile interception test

Footage of the test of a midcourse missile was released in the build-up to a major political gathering this month
The military has been showcasing its abilities and achievements in a documentary

China’s military

Teddy Ng

Published: 3:30pm, 8 Oct 2022

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China has released a video of an anti-ballistic missile interception test as part of a drive to showcase its military abilities ahead of a major Communist Party gathering.

The 23-second clip released on a social media account affiliated with the Chinese military on Friday evening did not identify the time and location of the test, but it referred to an announcement by the defence ministry in June that a missile test had been carried out.

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It said a land-based midcourse missile had been tested within China’s borders and “achieved its objective”. It added that the missile test was defensive in nature and not aimed at any country. There was no further information, including the type of system being tested or the missile being intercepted.

Song Zhongping, a former People’s Liberation Army instructor, said the new video was part of the documentary about the Chinese military’s achievements in recent years.

“Those videos … were for celebrating the national anniversary [on October 1] and the upcoming Communist Party congress,” he said.

The once-every-five-year party congress, which begins on October 16, will see a major leadership reshuffle and officials from different agencies have been using the build-up to promote what they have achieved.

The anti-ballistic missile test was China’s sixth publicly announced land-based anti-ballistic missile test since 2010. The last such missile interceptor test was in February 2021.

Shao Yongling, a former member of the PLA’s missile force, told state broadcaster CCTV in June that the technology was aimed at protecting the country’s nuclear capabilities.

The footage included animation of the missile test. Photo: Weibo

The defence ministry’s announcement that a test had been carried out in June was made a day after the United States announced the successful launch of four Trident II (D5LE) missiles from an Ohio-class submarine off the coast of southern California.

China became only the second country after the United States to intercept a ballistic missile with a kinetic kill vehicle in 2010, according to state media reports.

The US Ground-based Midcourse Defence system was deployed in 2004 and is designed to protect the country from a limited long-range ballistic missile attack.

Once the Chinese technology is fully developed, it could change the balance of nuclear deterrence. The aim is to knock out incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

This week North Korea carried out six missile tests that prompted a series of launches and joint military exercises from the US, South Korea and Japan.

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The US this week accused Beijing and Moscow of enabling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by blocking efforts to strengthen United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang.

But Beijing blamed Washington for creating tensions in the Korean peninsula. It said the US had failed to address North Korea’s concerns and its efforts to strengthen its alliances had heightened the risk of military confrontation.