China said on Wednesday it had successfully conducted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, a move likely to raise international concerns about the country's nuclear build-up.

According to information published previously by the Chinese military, the PLA Rocket Force now has various types of intercontinental ballistic missiles, including the DF-31AG, the DF-5B and the DF-41.

Rocket Force launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the high seas in the

The ICBM, carrying a dummy warhead, was launched on Sept 25 and “fell into expected sea areas”. Read more at straitstimes.com.

This has been an unusual move for the PLA because it had hardly published photos of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, let alone images of the missile's launch moment. The military announced on Wednesday that the PLA Rocket Force launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, carrying dummy warheads, into open waters in the Pacific Ocean.

China's Rocket Force, the missile branch of its military, has seen astonishing growth in recent years, including its nuclear arsenal.

The DF-31AG is reportedly capable of reaching most of the continental U.S. from most of its deployment areas in China.

The launch of a long-range missile carrying a dummy warhead landed in the Pacific Ocean as regional tensions run high.