China’s navy announced on Monday that it had successfully launched a strategic missile into the Pacific Ocean, coinciding with the start of annual joint naval exercises with Russia and renewing concerns over Beijing’s expanding military footprint in the Indo-Pacific region.
The launch came after officials in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand confirmed that China had informed regional governments in advance about an upcoming missile test.
China says missile test was part of annual military training
According to a statement issued by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy spokesperson Wang Xuemeng on the platform WeChat, a Chinese strategic nuclear submarine launched a strategic missile carrying a simulated training warhead at 12:01 pm local time on July 6.
“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,” Wang said.
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He added that the launch was part of China’s routine annual military training programme and that relevant countries had been informed beforehand.
Chinese authorities did not immediately specify the type of missile used or the exact location where it landed.
Missile test coincides with China-Russia naval exercises
The missile launch took place on the same day that China and Russia began their annual joint naval exercises off the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, one of China’s major naval bases.
While Beijing did not confirm whether the missile launch was linked to the joint exercises, the timing has drawn international attention amid growing strategic cooperation between China and Russia.
According to AFP, Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko confirmed that Chinese officials had briefed his government ahead of the launch.
“Yes, China has briefed me. I was personally called by the Chinese ambassador,” Tkatchenko told AFP.
A New Zealand government source also confirmed to AFP that Wellington had received prior notification of an impending Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile test.
China’s military presence in Pacific under scrutiny
It is not the first time China has conducted a test of its long-range missile over the international waters in the Pacific.
On 29 September 2024, the Rocket Force of China fired a long-range Dong Feng-31 ballistic missile fitted with a dummy warhead into the international waters near French Polynesia. It was the first long-range missile launched by China over the international waters after four decades.
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The missile landed in the zone considered a nuclear-free area according to international treaties.
According to the internal documents of the New Zealand Defence Force revealed to the news agency AFP last month, Wellington is expecting China’s naval missions and ballistic missile tests in the Pacific to become a “persistent” element of the security environment in the region.
The latest missile launch occurred against the backdrop of growing geopolitical rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region, where the increasing military capabilities of China are being monitored by neighboring nations and their western allies.
FAQs
Why did China fire a missile in the Pacific Ocean?
China stated that the missile launch was part of the annual military training drill conducted by China involving a strategic missile with a simulated warhead.
Did China warn other countries before the missile test?
Yes. Officials from Papua New Guinea and New Zealand confirmed that China informed regional governments before conducting the launch.
