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China tests new long-range missile

China conducted a successful test of a new type of long-range ground-to-ground missile today, the official Xinhua news agency reported. It gave no further details immediately.

Military experts had expected China to test its Dong Feng-31 (East Wind) missile. Jane's Defence Weekly has said the missile had a range of 8,000 kilometres and was capable of carrying a single nuclear warhead of 700 kilograms.

The brief Xinhua report did not say where China conducted the test launch, which took place after weeks of angry Chinese invective and veiled military threats over Taiwan's demand to be treated as an equal.

China sees that as a step toward independence and on Saturday Defence Minister Chi Haotian renewed Beijing's longstanding threat to use force against Taiwan if it tried to go its separate way.

UNI

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