China Test-Fires Ballistic Missile From Sub in South Pacific
Regional governments were warned in advance, and China said the launch was routine training and not directed at any country.
- On Monday, July 6, 2026, China's navy test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the South Pacific, with the Xinhua News Agency characterizing it as a "routine arrangement" of annual training involving a dummy warhead.
- The launch occurred the same day Australia and Fiji signed the Ocean of Peace alliance, a mutual defence treaty aimed at countering regional Chinese influence, prompting immediate criticism from Pacific leaders.
- New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the missile landed within the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone and was "not consistent with regional stability," adding that Beijing informed his government only hours before launch.
- Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the test "destabilising" due to lack of transparency, while Japan urged China to reconsider; an internal New Zealand Defense Force document warned such tests may become a "persistent" regional feature.
- This test follows China's September 2024 ICBM launch, reflecting broader modernization as the Pentagon reports Beijing aims to field more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, suggesting normalization of long-range missile launches in international waters.
398 Articles
398 Articles
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On Monday, China test-fired a long-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) toward the South Pacific Ocean, drawing nervous reactions from countries across the Asia-Pacific region. While Beijing has described the maneuver simply as “routine” training, it is all but routine in China’s missile-testing record. This marked only the third time China launched a long-range missile directly into the Pacific; the first was in 1980, and the most …
Rutland Herald
Analysis: China's ballistic missile launch was a message for the US
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