China recently tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that can carry multiple nuclear warheads, a Taiwan newspaper reported Thursday, quoting U.S. media reports.
The China Times said the Dongfeng-5C missile, carrying 10 dummy warheads, was launched in January from the Taiyuan Space Launch Center in Shanxi Province.
An editorial in China's pro-government Global Times in December said China should "significantly" boost military spending and build more nuclear weapons as a response to comments made by then U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump has irritated China with his views on Taiwan, especially his suggestion that the "One China" policy is negotiable.
This has led some to speculate that the missile test may have been intentionally conducted around the time Trump was inaugurated to put pressure on his administration.
The Dongfeng-5C missile has a range of over 12,000 km (7,500 miles), making it capable of reaching anywhere in the United States.
The ICBM can carry multiple warheads and unleash them on multiple targets at the same time, posing a challenge to the U.S. missile defense system.