India to test Agni-V nuclear missile capable of striking Beijing (Video)

Strangely, North Korean diplomats may take comfort in this.

The avowed nuclear power India has announced plans to test a new model of nuclear-capable missiles that would for the first time be capable of striking Beijing and Shanghai, according to The Associated Press.

The so-called Agni-V, India’s first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, has a range of 3,100 miles and New Delhi has described it as a bulwark against Chinese dominance in the region, the news agency said.

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A test launch was possible as early as Wednesday evening but NDTV reported  that the launch was postponed until Thursday.

NewsX produced this video report:

The AP said that China currently is capable of launching missiles that can strike targets anywhere in India.

"It will be a quantum leap in India's strategic capability," said Ravi Gupta, a spokesman for India's Defense Research and Development Organization, which built the missile, was quoted as saying by the AP.

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According to the news agency, the US is calling for restraint, but only just. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in Washington that the US urged all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint in developing nuclear capabilities.

"That said, India has a solid non-proliferation record," Toner was quoted as telling reporters.