'Protested' by Australia et al., China Assures Routine Missile Tests Do Not Target Any Country

JAKARTA - The Chinese government has confirmed that the missile test launched from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean is part of a routine annual military exercise carried out in accordance with international law, and is not aimed at any country or target.

"This is a routine arrangement in China's annual military training program. This is in accordance with applicable international law and international practices and is not aimed at any specific country or target," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning at a press conference in Beijing, Monday, July 6, as reported by ANTARA.

Mao said the countries concerned had received notifications before the launch was carried out.

"The countries concerned were notified before the launch. This is in accordance with international law and customary international practice, especially that the entire process is ensured to be safe, standard, and professional," said Mao Ning.

He also hopes that the countries concerned will not make too much of it.

The Chinese Navy on Monday (6/7) carried out a test launch of a long-range ballistic missile from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific.

China's state news agency reported the missile carrying the dummy warhead was launched at 12.01 local time and "landed precisely in the designated waters", without revealing the location or type of missile used.

A number of analysts estimate that China is testing the JL-2 or JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from one of the 094A-type submarines.

The launch drew the attention of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand who expressed concerns about China's military activities in the Pacific region.

"These countries were informed before the launch. This is in accordance with international law and customary international practice, especially that the entire process is ensured to be safe, standard, and professional," said Mao Ning. He also hopes that the countries concerned will not take it too seriously.

This test was the first launch of a missile from a nuclear submarine by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) since 2024. At that time, China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into waters near French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean, which was the first launch with a target in the region since 1980.

The New Zealand government stated that it did not support the use of the South Pacific as a location for testing missile capabilities because the area was the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.

The zone was formed through the Rarotonga Treaty in 1986 which prohibits the existence of nuclear weapons throughout the region. China ratified the protocol of the agreement in 1987 and committed not to conduct nuclear weapons tests or threaten to use them against signatory countries that have territory in the region.

The missile launch also took place on the same day that Australia and Fiji signed a new defense agreement aimed at strengthening security cooperation in the Pacific region.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong assessed that China's military capabilities were increasing very quickly and were still less transparent regarding the purpose of its development.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense also expressed concern over China's increased military activities. In its statement, Japan urged Beijing to "reconsider" conducting missile tests so that the trajectory of the projectile does not cross Japanese territory or pose other security risks.

According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a Washington-based think tank, China currently has six ballistic missile submarines and 59 nuclear submarines.

Meanwhile, in a recent report to the United States Congress released at the end of 2025, the Pentagon estimated that China had about 600 nuclear warheads by 2024. The report also said that the PLA was on track to operate more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.