China Test Fires Long-Range Ballistic Missile in the Pacific

China Test Fires Long-Range Ballistic Missile in the Pacific

A Chinese submarine test-fired a long-range ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, according to Beijing, drawing immediate condemnation from nations in the region. The missile, which carried a dummy warhead, was launched at 12:01 pm local time and accurately landed in the designated sea area, a Chinese navy statement said.

The test was part of routine annual training, complied with international law and practice, and was not directed against any country or target, according to a short statement from Xinhua, which was reposted by the Ministry of Defense. However, the launch has sparked concerns among countries in the region, with Australia, Japan, and New Zealand criticizing the move.

New Zealand described the test as involving a nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile, but China's defense and foreign ministries did not confirm whether an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) had been used. The test followed two years after China's elite Rocket Force fired an ICBM into the sea near French Polynesia, its first launch of such a missile over international waters in more than 40 years.

Alex Luck, a naval analyst focused on Chinese military modernization, said the missile could have been the advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile JL-3, an extended-range variant of China's JL-2. However, Luck also said it was equally plausible that a JL-2 had been tested. The JL-3 was showcased at a military parade in Beijing last September.

The test took place on the same day Australia and Fiji signed a major defense treaty, bolstering their ties as Canberra seeks to outmaneuver Beijing in the strategically important South Pacific. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her country had been told about the test ahead of time but criticized it as destabilizing for the region.

Japan's Defense Ministry expressed concern about China's increasing military activity and urged Beijing to rethink its missile testing so that the projectiles would not fly over Japan or pose other security risks.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters called the test an unwelcome and concerning development, saying that his country was informed of the planned launch hours beforehand and noted that the missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.

According to the Pentagon, China held more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023 and is likely to have more than 1,000 by 2030.