China test-fired a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, drawing sharp concern from Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
China’s official Xinhua News Agency said the missile carried a dummy warhead, launched at 12:01 p.m. Beijing time and landed in designated waters. The Chinese navy said the launch was part of routine annual training, complied with international law and was not aimed at any country or target.
The launch was China’s first known Pacific test of that kind in nearly two years.
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Why neighbors raised alarms
The test comes amid growing concern over China’s military buildup and Australia’s push to strengthen defense ties with Pacific Island nations.
The launch came the same day Australia and Fiji announced a mutual defense treaty. The New York Times reported the agreement is the latest in a series of Australian deals with Pacific Island nations widely viewed as efforts to push back against China’s expanding influence.
The missile test also followed China’s September 2024 launch of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific, which drew criticism from regional governments.
China calls launch routine
China has framed the launch as a legal and routine military exercise.
Xinhua said the missile was launched from a Chinese strategic nuclear submarine into the Pacific Ocean. The Chinese navy said it notified relevant countries in advance and that the missile “landed precisely within the designated waters.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the launch a routine part of China’s annual training. “It is hoped that relevant countries will not over-interpret it,” Mao said.
China did not say what type of missile it launched, according to The Times.
Pacific governments push back
Regional governments quickly condemned the launch.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said his government was “deeply concerned” and described the test as part of “a recurring pattern by China.” CBS reported that New Zealand was informed hours beforehand and noted that the missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.
“New Zealand considers this an unwelcome and concerning development,” Peters said. “We, like our neighbors in other Pacific countries, have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a testing site for missile capability.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the launch added to the region’s instability and pointed to China’s fast-growing military capabilities.
Japan said it urged China not to proceed with the launch after receiving advance notice, adding it conveyed “serious concern” over China’s expanding military activity.
More missile tests could follow
Jeffrey Lewis, a Middlebury College scholar who studies China’s nuclear weapons program, told The Times that the Chinese military was most likely testing the JL-3, a newer submarine-launched missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead. He said more tests are likely as China works to strengthen confidence in its nuclear deterrent.
China says it maintains a “no first use” nuclear policy while modernizing the People’s Liberation Army. A 2025 Nuclear Notebook analysis estimated that China has about 600 nuclear warheads, with the arsenal projected to surpass 1,000 by 2030.
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