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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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Footage released by the Chinese military shows a warship firing a new missile designed to sink enemy vessels as the East Asian nation strengthens its military capabilities.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Missiles are a key component of China's strategy to prevent or restrict forces from the United States—its top military rival—from entering or operating in a given area, serving as a countermeasure against potential U.S. military intervention in the western Pacific.
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Facing a U.S. naval presence near its doorstep, China has bolstered its ability to sink ships by developing advanced missiles, including hypersonic ones that fly at over five times the speed of sound and maneuver in flight, making them difficult to intercept.
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In its latest report on Chinese military power, the Pentagon warned that the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, could conduct strikes as far as 2,300 miles from China's mainland, seriously challenging and disrupting any U.S. presence in a regional conflict.
What To Know
China Military Bugle, a PLA media account, released footage on Sunday showing the Type 055 destroyer CNS Wuxi conducting what it called a "finalization test" of the YJ-20 anti-ship hypersonic missile in undisclosed waters, the Global Times reported.
The missile—officially unveiled at a high-profile military parade in September—was seen being fired from one of the warship's vertical launching system (VLS) cells before its engine ignited and it subsequently struck its target, which was destroyed, according to the report.
While it remains unclear when the footage was taken, the Global Times said this is the first time an official report has shown a live YJ-20 missile being fired from a warship. A finalization test refers to the last trial of a weapon system before it enters production.
In an article for the defense outlet Naval News after the Chinese military parade in September, Alex Luck, an Australia-based analyst, said the YJ-20 missile appeared to be an aeroballistic or ballistic missile that may be capable of hypersonic maneuvering against vessels.
According to the analyst, the YJ-20 missile had likely been seen previously. In 2022, a video showed an unidentified Type 055 destroyer firing a virtually identical missile, also known as the "aircraft carrier killer," that was mistakenly referred to as the YJ-21.
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At least eight Type 055 destroyers have entered service since 2023 and the vessels are considered to be the premier surface combatant of China's fast-growing navy. Each ship can be equipped with up to 112 missiles for anti-air, anti-ship, anti-submarine and land-attack missions.
The release of the YJ-20 missile footage comes after the Pentagon assessed that China has fielded the DF-27 intercontinental ballistic missile, which has a range of up to 4,970 miles—enough to reach the U.S. West Coast—for land-attack and anti-ship strikes.
What People Are Saying
The Pentagon said in its annual Chinese military report for 2025: "In an operation to counter foreign military involvement, PLA kinetic strikes would probably be effective within 1,500-2,000 nautical miles from the Chinese mainland. Such strike capabilities, if realized in sufficient volume, may seriously challenge U.S. military involvement."
Alex Luck, an Australia-based naval analyst, said: "Mind you, I consider this a good sign for [the People's Liberation Army Navy]. It demonstrates that they are [in my opinion] serious about capabilities and thorough when it comes to testing and certification."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Chinese military will conduct additional missile tests to signal its advanced ship-sinking capabilities following the recent U.S. disclosure of the planned Trump-class battleship, reportedly designed to carry at least 140 missiles.
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