中國軍方「警告美國」並向南海發射「航母殺手」導彈
- 消息人士稱，據報導，美國偵察機接近中國海軍演習的第二天，有兩支武器中的一艘在有爭議的水域內被送出
- 分析師稱，解放軍此舉，以回應美國對北京底線的持續測試
一位接近中國軍方的消息人士在周三早上說，向美國發出了明確的警告。
一種導彈是DF-26B，是從西北省份青海發射的，另一種是DF-21D，是從東部浙江省升空的。
消息人士稱，兩人均被發射到海南省東南部和西沙群島。
由於週一至週六的軍事演習，登陸區位於海南省海事安全部門週五表示將進入禁區的範圍內。
DF-26的射程為4,000公里（2,485英里），可用於對地面和海軍目標進行核打擊或常規打擊。
DF-21的射程約為1800公里，官方媒體稱該系列中最先進的DF-21D是世界上第一枚反艦彈道導彈。
消息人士說，發射導彈的目的是提高中國拒絕其他部隊進入有爭議的南海地區的能力。
消息人士說：“這是中國對日益增加的美國戰機和軍艦在南中國海頻繁入境所帶來的潛在風險的反應。” “中國不想讓鄰國誤解北京的目標。”
香港軍事評論員宋中平說，導彈的發射顯然是要向美國發出信號。
宋說：“美國繼續測試中國在台灣和南海問題上的底線，這迫使中國展示其軍事實力，讓華盛頓知道，即使美國的航母也無法充分發揮其在中國海岸附近的實力。”
中國國防部沒有立即回應有關發射的置評請求。
本月初，中國人民解放軍還在台灣附近舉行了“捍衛國家主權”演習，與美國衛生部長亞歷克斯·阿扎爾（Alex Azar）前往台灣的旅行同時進行。
7月，解放軍在華南，華東和黃海進行了軍事演習，因為有兩家美國航空母艦在南海進行了戰術防空演習。美國表示，這種演習“是在支持自由和開放的印度支那-太平洋”。
除了航空母艦，美國還派出了許多軍用飛機和船隻來密切關注中國的活動。
中國的軍事演習引起了鄰國的不安。越南要求中國取消其對西沙群島的軍事演習，稱這侵犯了越南的主權，並且有損於中國與東盟就南中國海行為守則進行的會談。
彭博社的補充報導
Chinese military fires ‘aircraft-carrier killer’ missile into South China Sea in ‘warning to the United States’
- Weapon one of two sent over disputed waters a day after American spy plane reportedly nears Chinese naval drill, source says
- PLA flexes muscle in response to continued US testing of Beijing’s bottom lines, analyst says
on Wednesday morning, a source close to the Chinese military said, sending a clear warning to the United States.
without permission during a Chinese live-fire naval drill in the Bohai Sea off its north coast.
One of the missiles, a DF-26B, was launched from the northwestern province of Qinghai, while the other, a DF-21D, lifted off from Zhejiang province in the east.
Both were fired into an area between Hainan province and the Paracel Islands, the source said.
The landing areas were within a zone that Hainan maritime safety authorities said on Friday would be off limits because of military exercises from Monday to Saturday.
The DF-26 has a range of 4,000km (2,485 miles) and can be used in nuclear or conventional strikes against ground and naval targets.
The DF-21 has a range of around 1,800km, with state media describing the most advanced in the series, the DF-21D, as the world’s first anti-ship ballistic missile.
The source said the missile launch was aimed at improving China’s ability to deny other forces access to the disputed South China Sea region.
“This is China’s response to the potential risks brought by the increasingly frequent incoming US warplanes and military vessels in the South China Sea,” the source said. “China doesn’t want the neighbouring countries to misunderstand Beijing’s goals.”
Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator, said the missile launches were clearly meant to send a signal to the United States.
“The US continues to test China’s bottom line in Taiwan and South China Sea issues, and this pushed China to showcase its military strength to let Washington know that even US aircraft carriers cannot flex their full muscle near China’s coast,” Song said.
China’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the launches.
Earlier this month, the PLA also held exercises near Taiwan “to safeguard national sovereignty”, exercises that coincided with US Health Secretary Alex Azar’s trip to the island.
In July, the PLA conducted military exercises in the South China, East China and Yellow seas, as two US aircraft carriers conducted tactical air defence exercises in the South China Sea – manoeuvres the US said were “in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
Besides aircraft carriers, the US has also sent numerous military jets and vessels to keep a close watch on Chinese activity.
The Chinese military drills have triggered unease among its neighbours. Vietnam asked China to cancel its Paracel Islands military drills, saying they violated Vietnam’s sovereignty and were detrimental to China-Asean talks on a South China Sea code of conduct.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg