A Chinese submarine test fired a missile in the Pacific Ocean on Monday, Beijing said, after nations in the region warned that China was planning to test an intercontinental ballistic missile.
It was a rare show of Beijing’s military might in the strategically important South Pacific region, where the US, Australia and New Zealand have long been the security partners of choice.
The launch drew immediate condemnation from nations in the region, including Japan, which said it had urged China to reconsider proceeding with the launch.
“At 12:01 pm on July 6, a strategic nuclear submarine of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy successfully launched a … strategic missile carrying a training simulation warhead into the relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean, accurately landing in the designated sea area,” spokesperson Wang Xuemeng said in a statement posted on a Chinese navy WeChat account.
“This missile test launch is a routine arrangement of China’s annual military training, and relevant countries were informed in advance,” Wang said.
The launch came on the same day that China and Russia were due to begin their annual joint naval exercises off Qingdao, a major military port and seaside resort in China’s east.
It was not immediately clear if the missile launch was part of those drills.
Beijing has stepped up its nuclear development and boosted defence spending in recent years.
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.
