China Test-Fires Missile into Pacific Near Indonesian Waters, Drawing Condemnation from Three Nations

The Chinese military conducted a missile test-firing from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, drawing criticism and concern from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. According to a report from Xinhua, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy nuclear submarine launched a missile carrying a dummy warhead into international waters in the Pacific at 12:01 p.m. The missile landed in a ‘designated area’, though no further details on the exact location were provided. The Chinese government described the launch as a routine arrangement in its annual military training and stated it was not directed against any country or target.

Japan confirmed it had received prior notification of the missile launch and urged China to reconsider. ‘We express deep concern over the increase in China’s military activities,’ Tokyo stated, adding that the Japan Coast Guard had been notified by Chinese authorities on Sunday about falling space debris that could land within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEE).

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said China had informed the government about the planned test, but Canberra described the launch as destabilising for the region. ‘Australia has made it clear that this proposed test occurs in the context of China’s rapid military build-up, which lacks the transparency and reassurance about intentions that the region expects,’ Wong told reporters at a press conference in Suva, Fiji.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters expressed grave concern over the test, noting that Wellington was notified only ‘within hours’ of the launch. ‘New Zealand considers this an unwelcome and concerning development. We, like our neighbours in other Pacific nations, do not want China using the South Pacific as a testing ground for missile capabilities,’ Peters said in a statement. The Pacific Ocean borders Indonesia’s eastern territory, including the provinces of Papua, West Papua, Southwest Papua, and parts of North Maluku.