China says midcourse missile interception test a success

BEIJING (AP) — China says it has successfully conducted a midcourse missile interception test, a move that could advance its ability to withstand foreign intervention as it presses its territorial claims. The Defense Ministry gave no details except to say the test was purely defensive in nature. Missiles are a major component of China’s defense and are the backbone of a space program that has launched astronauts and components to the nation’s orbiting space station. The interception test comes as China has been escalating threats against the self-governing island of Taiwan. It has also been asserting its claims to much of the South China Sea.