China is likely to have tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could strike anywhere in the United States just two days before President Donald Trump’s Beijing visit. Chinese military experts said the tests were intended to send a message to the US by highlighting China’s nuclear capability at a time when both the US and Russia are intensifying their own tests of ICBMs and hypersonic vehicles. However, according to the South China Morning Post, it was unclear whether the test had been deliberately timed to coincide with Trump’s visit. On Sunday, Beijing announced an air closure zone over an area in Gobi Desert that has been used in the past to test China’s newest ICBM, the DF-41. The DF-41, which has a range of 12,000km, is one of the most cutting-edge weapons in the People’s Liberation Army. The missile is equipped with multiple warheads, and its range allows the PLA to strike anywhere inside the US.
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