China activates new precision intermediate, long-range missiles: Report

China has activated new intermediate and long-range missiles capable of precision strikes on medium and large warships, official media here reported.

The domestically developed missiles, which were recently used by a missile brigade of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) rocket force, is capable of nuclear counterattacks, and marks a further development of Chinese artillery's combat capabilities, state-run China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

It is capable of precision strikes on medium and large targets on land, and similar sized warships at sea, official tabloid Global Times quoted the CCTV report as saying.

"This breakthrough means that the missile's reaction time is quicker, and its station-keeping ability is more precise," Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told the daily.

In recent years, the PLA Rocket Force, which is created as part of the reforms initiated by President Xi Jinping has been focusing on improving its nuclear counterattack capabilities and medium-to-long range precision strikes.

It is more "combat ready, and launches on time and causes serious damage," the report said.