Missile defense test in pursuit of equilibrium

The brief statement by the Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday announcing China successfully tested ground-based mid-course anti-missile intercept technology within its territory on Monday marks a major step forward on the People's Liberation Army's path to modernization, as only a few countries have mastered the technology necessary to intercept a missile in flight.

But there is no reason for China's military modernization to be viewed as a potential threat to the security and interests of others. As the Ministry of National Defense explicitly stated, the test was "defensive and not aimed at any country".

Given the increasingly complex and grave security situations on its doorsteps and the growing missile imbalance that is not in its favor, it would be remiss of China not to seek to restore equilibrium with its own missile defense system in face of the increasingly unfriendly geopolitical regional environment.