" China has consistently adhered to a nuclear strategy of self-defense, always maintaining its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security, and does not engage in an arms race," ...

China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) ...

China's DF-26 IRBM is a two-stage missile capable of reaching targets out to roughly 4,000 km. The weapon entered service in 2016 after being officially unveiled during China's 2015 parade ...

China’s DF-41 has the flexibility of being silo-based or going on the road. This makes it much harder for other countries to keep track of where they are and to destroy them in the event of war.

This announcement, combined with the release of the photos of the DF-31AG launch, shows more transparency and confidence by China about demonstrating its nuclear deterrence capabilities. Also, the ...

The DF-41’s road-mobile and solid-fueled design addresses vulnerabilities in China’s older nuclear arsenal, which relied heavily on silo-based, liquid-fueled missiles like the aforementioned DF-5.

Previously, China’s most advanced known ICBM was the DF-41, a road-mobile ICBM that can carry at least three multiple, independently targetable reentry vehicle, or MIRV, warheads.

The DF-41's solid propellant uses a three-stage engine to reach ranges between 12,000-15,000km (7,456-9,320 miles) - capable of covering all of the US mainland - with speeds of up to Mach 25.

The report estimated that by 2022, China had around 300 ICBMs, including the DF-31 and DF-41, with ongoing construction of three new solid-propellant silo fields.