China test-fires ballistic missile from submarine in Pacific, alarming Japan, Australia and New Zealand
China test-fired a ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, drawing sharp condemnation from Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The launch, which carried a dummy warhead, was described by Beijing as routine training.
The launch
China test-fired a ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine at 12:01 pm Beijing time (0401 GMT) on Monday, July 6, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The missile carried a dummy warhead and landed in designated waters in the Pacific Ocean. Beijing described the launch as a routine arrangement of annual military training, saying it was not directed at any specific country or target.
- China notifies Japan of a zone for space debris reentry south of Cape Shionomisaki, later confirmed as a ballistic missile test area.
- China launches a ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine into the Pacific.
- Japan, Australia and New Zealand condemn the test; Australia and Fiji sign a mutual defence treaty the same day.
Regional reactions
Japan said its coast guard received prior notification from China on Sunday about a zone for falling space debris south of Cape Shionomisaki, later learning it was for a ballistic missile test. Tokyo expressed "grave concern" and urged China to reconsider. Australia and New Zealand also swiftly condemned the test. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called it destabilising and cited a lack of transparency.
Australia has been clear that 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.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the country was deeply concerned, noting it was informed only hours before.
It appears that despite our long-standing concerns about this type of activity, China carried out the test within hours of informing us.
Nuclear-free zone breach
New Zealand stressed that the missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, created by the 1986 Treaty of Rarotonga. China ratified the treaty protocols in 1987, pledging not to test nuclear weapons in the zone or threaten signatories. Peters said Pacific countries had no interest in China using the region as a testing site for missile capability. "New Zealand considers this an unwelcome and concerning development," he said.
Coinciding treaty and naval tracking
The test occurred the same day Australia and Fiji signed a mutual defence treaty widely viewed as countering Chinese influence. Data from ship-tracking company Starboard Maritime Intelligence showed three Chinese satellite-tracking vessels positioned across the Pacific: two departed China around June 25 and were near the Federated States of Micronesia, and a third had been in Suva, Fiji, since early May.
China's stance and historical context
China's defence ministry repeated it was a routine test complying with international law and not targeting any country. The last comparable test was in September 2024, when China fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific near French Polynesia, the first publicly announced ICBM test in more than four decades. Monday's launch marks the second such event in two years, a frequency that has unnerved Pacific nations.
