China’s navy said it test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine in the South Pacific on Monday, describing the exercise as lawful and not aimed at any country or target. State-run Xinhua reported that relevant countries were notified in advance and that a dummy warhead landed within designated waters, consistent with the announced impact area.
The launch drew public criticism from several regional governments. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters called the test unwelcome and concerning, saying Pacific countries did not want the South Pacific used as a site for missile capability testing. Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, described the launch as destabilizing for the region. In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said China was expanding defense spending and nuclear missile capabilities rapidly and without sufficient transparency.
Beijing characterized the event as a routine part of annual naval training. However, such launches are uncommon. China’s previous long-range ballistic missile test occurred two years earlier; before that, it had been roughly four decades since a comparable test. A Pentagon assessment of the 2024 launch said it was probably intended to rehearse a peacetime nuclear deterrence operation and confirm full-range nuclear delivery capability.
The Chinese government did not identify the missile used on Monday. Analysts cited in the report said it was likely a JL-2 or JL-3, submarine-launched ballistic missiles displayed at a Beijing military parade last year. The JL-3 is assessed to have a range exceeding 6,000 miles, or about 10,000 kilometers, potentially allowing launches from Chinese coastal waters to reach parts of the continental United States.
The test comes amid broader concern among U.S. and allied officials about China’s military modernization and possible conflict over Taiwan, the self-governing democracy Beijing claims as its territory. It also follows increased Chinese military activity near the island in recent years.