China conducted a long-range missile test in the Pacific on Monday, firing a dummy warhead from a nuclear-powered submarine, according to state news agency Xinhua. The Australian government condemned the move as “destabilising to the region,” while Japan said it “strongly urged” Beijing to reconsider. Beijing described the launch as a routine annual military drill and said relevant countries were notified beforehand.
The test marks China's first known submarine-based missile launch since 1982, according to South China Morning Post, and its first missile test in the Pacific since 2024, per The New York Times. The launch came from a nuclear-powered People's Liberation Army submarine on the high seas. Xinhua reported the dummy warhead landed in “designated waters” of the Pacific at 12.01pm local time.
Regional powers responded swiftly. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the test “destabilising to the region,” while Japan's government applied diplomatic pressure ahead of the launch. The test occurs amid heightened strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, where China has expanded its naval footprint and missile capabilities in recent years.
Analysts suggest the launch signals China's growing ability to project power across the Pacific, including its submarine-based nuclear deterrent. The test could escalate tensions with the U.S. and its allies, who have increased military patrols and exercises in the region. China insists the test was not aimed at any specific country or target.
Some observers note that China's prior notification may have tempered immediate backlash, but the test underscores the strategic shift toward undersea warfare capabilities in the region.