US punts Minuteman missile test as China practices Taiwan blockade

The United States has postponed a scheduled test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to avoid increasing tensions with China as the Asian superpower flexes its military muscle around Taiwan following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed Thursday that the test would be delayed for “a short period of time.”

“As China engages in destabilizing military exercises around Taiwan, the United States is demonstrating, instead, the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation,” Kirby told...