Dismissing reports that India’s nuclear-capable Agni-III missile, which has a range of 3,500 km posed a threat to China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu has said China and India were having friendly and cooperative relations. China on Tuesday said both countries did not pose a mutual threat.
“I don’t want to interpret or comment on the reports,” Ma said when asked to comment on the February 7 launch of Agni-III, which put China’s major cities within its strike range. Ma was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency saying China-India relations maintain their good momentum. “Bilateral ties will move forward with the joint effort of both countries,” he added.
The launch of Agni-III, the missile with the longest range in India’s arsenal, from the Wheeler Island off Orissa on Sunday was a complete success. The two-stage, surface-to-surface ballistic missile can carry nuclear warheads. The nuclear triggering mechanism worked well although the missile carried only chemical explosives as payload.
Later, the euphoric staff carried V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister; Avinash Chander, Agni Mission Director; and V.G. Sekaran, Project Director, on their shoulders. Saraswat urged them to continue with their hard work and make a grand success of Agni-V, which is planned to be launched by the end of the year.
With three consecutively successful flights of Agni-III, the missile technologists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have raised the bar: they will now busy themselves with realising Agni-V which will have a range of 5,000 km.
- Asian Tribune -
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