Chinese state media reported that the country’s military conducted a missile launch from a nuclear submarine into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, prompting criticism and concern from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, according to Reuters.
Xinhua, the state news agency, announced that a People’s Liberation Army submarine launched the missile, fitted with an inert warhead, into international waters of the Pacific at 12:01 PM local time (04:01 GMT). The report stated that the missile fell into “designated waters,” although no specific location was provided.
The state agency characterized the launch as a “routine activity” within China’s annual military training program, asserting that it was not directed against any particular country or target.
Penny Wong, Australia’s Foreign Minister, indicated that Beijing had informed the Australian government ahead of the planned test, but she described the launch as “destabilizing” for the region. “Australia has made it clear that this proposed test occurs in the context of China’s rapid military capability enhancement, a process lacking the transparency and assurances about its intentions that the region expects,” Wong stated during a press conference in Fiji.
Responses from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand to China’s Missile Test
The Japanese government announced that it had received notification regarding the missile launch and urged China to reconsider its decision. “We have expressed our deep concern regarding the intensification of Chinese military activities,” the Tokyo administration remarked, adding that Japan’s Coast Guard was informed by Chinese authorities on Sunday about potential missile debris that could fall within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Kyodo News reported that, according to a Japanese government source, the missile ultimately landed outside Japan’s EEZ.
Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, expressed deep concern over the test, noting that New Zealand was informed “within a few hours” of the launch. “New Zealand views this as an undesirable and concerning development. Like our neighbors in other Pacific states, we have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a testing ground for its missile capabilities,” Peters stated in a press release.
China last conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile test in 2024, a rare launch that highlighted the country’s expanding military capabilities.
