Did China Test a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile?

The number of sources in the media confirming this story numbers only one, here, from The Chosun Ilbo.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Daily on Friday carried a photo on its front page of the Changcheng 200 submarine test-firing a missile.

The disclosure of the exercise follows the dramatic test flight earlier this month of a new stealth fighter jet that coincided with the visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

The news was also reported by the official Xinhua news agency, the web edition of the People's Daily, and the Science and Technology Daily the following day. They did not specify when and where the test took place.

The Changcheng 200, commissioned in 1966, is a large G-class conventional submarine, 98 m long and 8.6 m wide. It is powered by diesel engines and electric motors. The sub first test-launched a missile in 1982, but this was the first time a firing exercise has ever been made public.

DoD Buzz cites the same source, but adds the launch was mentioned by Norman Polmar as well during a recent book signing.

If we rate the various military news items from China in terms of new developments over the past several weeks, this story ranks much higher for me than the J-20 prototype news.