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China test-launches ballistic missile from submarine into South Pacific

newsJul 6, 202631503

China test-fired a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the South Pacific at 12:01 PM local time (04:01 GMT) on Monday, state news agency Xinhua said, with the missile landing in "designated waters." Xinhua described the launch as a routine part of China’s annual military training and said it was not directed at any specific target. Australia, Japan and New Zealand said they were notified; Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the test "destabilising" and said it took place amid a rapid Chinese military build-up that lacks transparency. Japan said it had urged China to reconsider and that its coastguard had been warned about falling space debris that could enter Japan’s exclusive economic zone. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the launch was an "unwelcome and concerning development" and that Pacific nations have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a missile-testing site. The test drew formal criticism and concern from the three governments and was reported as part of wider regional tensions over Beijing’s expanding military activity; China last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2024.

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