China conducted a long-range missile test in the South Pacific on Monday, just hours after Australia and Fiji signed a major defense agreement, sparking condemnation from Canberra and regional leaders who described the move as destabilizing.
Missile Test Details
A Chinese navy statement confirmed that a nuclear submarine launched a 'strategic missile carrying a training simulation warhead' on Monday, adding that it 'accurately land(ed) in the designated sea area.' Spokesperson Wang Xuemeng said in a WeChat statement: 'This missile test launch is a routine arrangement of China’s annual military training, and relevant countries were informed in advance.' China’s defense ministry did not confirm whether an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was used.
The exact location of the test remains unknown. The New Zealand government said it was informed of the planned launch hours beforehand and noted that the missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.
Regional Condemnation
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the missile test was 'destabilising' to the region. 'Australia has been clear with China that we regard this as destabilising to the region,' Wong stated from Fiji, where she was traveling with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. She added that the test occurred 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 described the test as 'deeply concerning,' criticizing that 'China carried out the test within hours of informing us.' Peters said: 'The Pacific is an Ocean of Peace and we are deeply concerned by China’s testing of nuclear-capable weapons into the South Pacific.'
Timing and Motives
The test came just hours after Australia and Fiji signed the Ocean of Peace alliance, a defense pact committing each country to come to the other’s aid in the event of an attack. The alliance is part of Australia’s efforts to deepen ties in the Pacific and counter Beijing’s influence.
Malcolm Davis, a senior defense analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the timing was not a coincidence. '[The test] is clearly an indication that China will use military force, or the threat of military force, to try to intimidate and coerce small Pacific states into not seeking closer relations with Australia,' he said.
Australia’s Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite told the ABC the government did not believe there was a link between the alliance announcement and the test. However, another federal government source told the Guardian they believed the events were linked.
China's Response
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the launch was 'not directed at any specific country or target.' Spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters: 'Related launch operations were conducted safely, in a standardised manner and professionally. It is hoped that relevant countries will not over-interpret this.' The Chinese embassy in Australia did not respond to a request for comment.
Australia’s Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said China informed Australia on Monday of its plans to conduct a long-range missile test in the Pacific region, with reports that it was a nuclear-capable device with a dummy warhead. 'We were informed by China today of its intention to do this test,' Marles said. 'This is a long-range missile test, and we are very concerned about any actions which undermine the stability, the peace, and security of the Pacific.'
International Reactions
A statement from the Japanese government said it had tried to convince China not to fire the test missile and had 'expressed serious concerns over China’s increasing military activity.' Wong said she would 'leave it to China to speak to its intent' but noted that Australia had been aware of a Chinese task group in the region 'for some time.' She added: 'The Pacific Islands Forum leaders have made clear that they want the Pacific to be an Ocean of Peace. We believe this test is inconsistent with that objective.'
Wong would not confirm whether Australia had been informed about the missile’s potential nuclear capability. She said Australian defense attachés in Beijing and officials in Canberra were briefed by their Chinese counterparts earlier in the day, and that Australian officials communicated the government’s view.
China last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2024, a rare event that highlighted the country’s increasing military capabilities.
Tracking and Planning
Data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, a New Zealand ship-tracking company, showed three Chinese satellite-tracking vessels positioned throughout the Pacific. Two vessels departed China on about 25 June and now sit near the Federated States of Micronesia. The third departed China in early May and is now at harbor in Fiji’s capital, Suva.
Mark Douglas, an analyst for Starboard, said: 'These vessels carry large satellite dishes used to track missile launches and other space activity and are likely in the Pacific to collect data from the missile test China has reportedly notified regional governments to expect within 24 hours.' Noting the departure times, he added: 'This test has been planned well in advance. That said, the notification landing the day after Australia and Fiji signed the Ocean of Peace Alliance is interesting, to say the least.'
