China's submarine-launched missile test in South Pacific draws regional criticism
China launched a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into designated waters of the South Pacific on July 6, drawing criticism from three regional democracies. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the action “destabilising” and cited concern over the lack of transparency amid China’s military buildup. New Zealand’s Winston Peters said Pacific nations “have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a testing site,” and Japan, which was notified in advance and warned of possible space debris in its economic zone, said it had expressed serious concerns.
China’s state news agency Xinhua described the launch as routine annual training with no specific target. The complaints reflect a broader unease in the region: submarine-launched ballistic missiles are the hardest leg of a nuclear force to track, and demonstrating that capability far from China’s coast signals a longer reach into waters Canberra, Wellington and Tokyo consider their strategic backyard.