Missile Test Sparks Regional Concerns
China conducted a long-range missile test in the South Pacific just hours after Australia and Fiji signed a defence agreement, prompting condemnation from Canberra and regional leaders.
The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, described the missile test as “destabilising” to the region, while New Zealand’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, called it “deeply concerning.”
A Chinese navy statement reported that a nuclear submarine launched a “strategic missile carrying a training simulation warhead” on Monday, stating it had “accurately land(ed) in the designated sea area.”
“This missile test launch is a routine arrangement of China’s annual military training, and relevant countries were informed in advance,”said spokesperson Wang Xuemeng in a WeChat statement.
China’s defence ministry did not confirm whether an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was used in the test.
The exact location of the test remains unknown. The New Zealand government said it was informed hours prior to the launch and noted that the missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.
The test occurred just hours after Australia and Fiji signed a defence pact, committing each country to assist the other in the event of an attack.
The alliance, named the Ocean of Peace, is open to other countries joining in the future and is part of Australia’s strategy to strengthen ties in the Pacific and counter Beijing’s expanding influence.
Malcolm Davis, senior defence analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, stated the timing was deliberate.
“[The test] is clearly an indication that China will use military force, or the threat of military force, to try to intimidate and coerce small Pacific states into not seeking closer relations with Australia,”he said.
Australia’s assistant foreign minister, Matt Thistlethwaite, told the ABC that the government did not believe there was a direct link between the alliance announcement and the missile test.
However, another federal government source told they believed the events were connected.
China’s ministry of foreign affairs stated the launch was “not directed at any specific country or target.”
“Related launch operations were conducted safely, in a standardised manner and professionally. It is hoped that relevant countries will not over-interpret this,”spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters.
The Chinese embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Australia’s acting prime minister, Richard Marles, said China only informed Australia on Monday of its plans to conduct a long-range missile test in the Pacific region, reportedly involving a nuclear-capable device with a dummy warhead.
“We were informed by China today of its intention to do this test,”Marles said at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
“This is a long-range missile test, and we are very concerned about any actions which undermine the stability, the peace, and security of the Pacific,”he added.
Regional Reactions and Concerns
Thistlethwaite expressed that Australia was “deeply concerned” and had conveyed these concerns to the Chinese government in both Beijing and Canberra.
“The motivations behind it, I think, are a question for the Chinese government. I think the Australian people, and indeed the people of the Pacific, would like to know the motivation behind it,”he said.
New Zealand’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, also described the test as “deeply concerning” and criticized the short notice given by China.
“China carried out the test within hours of informing us,”Peters said.
“The Pacific is an Ocean of Peace and we are deeply concerned by China’s testing of nuclear-capable weapons into the South Pacific.”
The Japanese government issued a statement saying it had attempted to persuade China not to conduct the missile test and expressed serious concerns over China’s increasing military activity.
Wong, speaking from Fiji where she was traveling with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, said Australia had been aware of a Chinese task group in the region for some time.
“Australia has been clear with China that we regard this as destabilising to the region,”Wong said.
“Australia has been clear that this proposal, this proposed test, is in the context of a rapid military buildup by China, which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent, that the region expects.
The Pacific Islands Forum leaders have made clear that they want the Pacific to be an Ocean of Peace. We believe this test is inconsistent with that objective.”
Wong did not confirm whether Australia had been informed about the missile’s potential nuclear capability but said Australia had been notified the test would occur “within the next 24 hours.”
The test reportedly took place around the same time.
Speaking to the ABC on Monday evening, Wong said Australian defence attachés in Beijing and officials in Canberra had been briefed by their Chinese counterparts earlier that day, and Australian officials had communicated the government’s position.
“In an era where we see contest and competition, the destabilising acts can lead to miscalculation, can lead where we do not want these actions to lead,”she said.
Background and Strategic Context
China last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2024, a rare event underscoring the country’s expanding military capabilities.
Data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, a New Zealand ship-tracking company, showed three Chinese satellite-tracking vessels positioned throughout the Pacific.
Two vessels departed China around 25 June and are now near the Federated States of Micronesia. The third left China in early May and is currently docked in Suva, Fiji’s capital.
“These vessels carry large satellite dishes used to track missile launches and other space activity and are likely in the Pacific to collect data from the missile test China has reportedly notified regional governments to expect within 24 hours,”said Mark Douglas, an analyst for Starboard.
“Noting the departure times of the Chinese vessels, he added: “This test has been planned well in advance. That said, the notification landing the day after Australia and Fiji signed the Ocean of Peace Alliance is interesting, to say the least.”
, AFP, and AP contributed to this report.
