China tests submarine-launched ballistic missile and begins naval drills with Russia, drawing US and allied protests
The Chinese military launched a nuclear-capable missile from a submarine in the Pacific on Monday and kicked off week-long joint naval exercises with Russia, prompting the United States, Japan and Australia to voice alarm over opaque nuclear build-up.
The missile test
China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy fired a strategic missile carrying a training warhead from a nuclear-powered submarine into international waters of the Pacific Ocean on 6 July. State media described the launch as a routine annual training event, not aimed at any country. The tabloid Global Times, citing a military expert, said the weapon was likely the JL-3, China’s most advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile, which debuted in a parade last year and, according to a Pentagon report, can reach the continental United States.
The launch was conducted safely, in a standardised and professional manner from start to finish. We hope the countries involved do not over-interpret the matter.
Joint Sea 2026 exercises
On the same day, Chinese and Russian navies opened the Joint Sea 2026 manoeuvres at the port of Qingdao in eastern China. The drills, set to run until 13 July, involve a joint command, tactical coordination, reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, air defence and live-fire exercises. China deployed two destroyers, a frigate, a diesel-electric submarine and support vessels; Russia sent the cruiser Variag, the corvette Rezkiy, the submarine Ufa and a rescue ship. After the harbour phase, the fleets will conduct a joint patrol in the Pacific.
- Force concentration phase of Joint Sea 2026 concludes.
- China and Russia open Joint Sea 2026 naval drills in Qingdao.
- China tests a JL-3 SLBM from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific.
- US, Japan and Australia express concern and urge notification.
- NATO summit begins in Ankara.
International reaction
The United States expressed “great concern” over China’s “rapid and opaque accumulation of nuclear weapons” and urged Beijing to establish a regular notification mechanism for intercontinental ballistic missile launches, in line with other P5 nuclear-weapon states. State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said Washington remains firm in its defence commitments to allies.
The rapid and opaque accumulation of nuclear weapons by Beijing is a matter of great concern for the region and for the world.
Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi called the test “deeply concerning” and asked China to reconsider, while Australia warned it risked destabilising the region.
NATO summit backdrop
The manoeuvres and the missile test unfolded on the eve of a NATO summit starting Tuesday in Ankara. China insisted both were routine, but the timing added a layer of tension to an already packed agenda for the Western alliance. A month and a half earlier, Vladimir Putin had visited Xi Jinping in Beijing, reaffirming their partnership and criticising what they called hegemonic unilateralism.
Nuclear opacity
Washington’s statement stressed that the United States is working harder than ever to prevent nuclear proliferation while China is “doing the opposite”. It called on Beijing to engage in meaningful arms-control talks. The episode highlights the growing unease among Pacific nations about China’s nuclear modernisation and its lack of transparency.
