Australia and New Zealand are raising concerns following China’s announcement that it has successfully conducted a ballistic missile test from a strategic nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean’s international waters.
The Chinese news agency, Xinhua, stated that the missile test was part of China’s routine military exercises, emphasizing that they had previously notified relevant nations as per international law requirements.
According to Xinhua, the launch was described as part of the regular schedule of China’s military training activities and clarified it was not aimed at any specific country or objective.
This development follows a significant defense pact signed earlier in the day between Australia and Fiji, which pledges mutual support if either nation comes under attack.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that China had informed the Australian government about the missile test in advance.
“Australia has been clear with China that we regard this as destabilising to the region,” she told reporters on Monday, moments before the launch was confirmed.
“This proposed test is in the context of a rapid military buildup by China, which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent that the region expects.”
Wong said the test was “inconsistent” with Pacific leaders’ requests for the ocean to be one “of peace”.
That statement was echoed by New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters.
“It appears that, despite our long-standing concerns about this type of activity, China carried out the test within hours of informing us,” he said in a statement.
“The Pacific is an Ocean of Peace and we are deeply concerned by China’s testing of nuclear-capable weapons into the South Pacific.”
Japan’s government said it had been notified of the missile launch and urged China to reconsider.
“We expressed our grave concern over the Chinese military’s increased activity,” Tokyo said, adding that Japan’s Coast Guard had been notified on Sunday by Chinese authorities about falling space debris that could fall within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency on Monday reported, citing a Japanese government source, that the missile had landed outside Japan’s EEZ.
China’s elite Rocket Force fired a dummy warhead into the sea near French Polynesia in September 2024, its first long-range missile launch over international waters in more than 40 years.
— With additional reporting by Reuters and Agence France-Presse.