China's Defense Ministry spokesman confirmed on Thursday that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had conducted missile tests within national territory and clarified that they were not targeted at any one country.
"We conducted some normal weapons tests within the territory recently," spokesman Geng Yansheng told a regular press conference arranged by the ministry.
"These tests have no specific targets and were not targeted at any specific countries," Geng said, reiterating that the weaponry buildup is to answer the need to safeguard national security.
Domestic and foreign media reports said that the PLA's Second Artillery Force had successfully test-launched several missiles, including DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile.
Others claimed the PLA's tests of JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missiles had all failed, and that China's development of ballistic missiles was at a comparatively slow pace.
The spokesman neither revealed what kinds of missiles the PLA had tested, nor confirmed the truth of the reports.
According to the reports, China's latest ballistic missiles launched from its mainland have a range allowing them to hit any point of the United States and could penetrate its missile defense system.
"China will always pursue a national defense policy which is defensive in nature and a military strategy of active defense," Geng said.
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