China shows off air defence with anti-missile test

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China shows off air defence with anti-missile test

BEIJING: China said on Tuesday it had successfully tested a missile intercept system in what analysts described as a show of its advanced air defence capabilities amid tensions over US arms sales to Taiwan.

“China conducted a test of ground-based mid-range missile interception technology within its territory, which achieved its objective,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters. “This test is defensive in nature and not targeted at any other country and is consistent with the national defence policy of China,” Jiang said. The Pentagon said on Tuesday Beijing did not notify the US in advance of the missile defence test and that Washington had asked Beijing to clarify its intentions with the intercept weaponry. “The US is requesting information from China regarding the purpose for conducting this interception as well as China’s intentions and plans to pursue future types of intercepts,” she said. afp