Indonesia monitors developments in China's ballistic missile test
Jakarta (ANTARA) — Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to monitor developments surrounding China’s test of a long-range ballistic missile system, launched from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific Ocean earlier this week.
“Certainly, we continue to follow reports on this ballistic missile test,” said Yvonne Mewengkang, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when met after a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.
She said that, in principle, there is no general prohibition under international law on the possession or testing of ballistic missiles, as China has done.
Yvonne also confirmed that notification had been received from the Beijing government regarding the conduct of the missile test.
That notification, she said, is an important step as a form of a state’s transparency, as well as part of efforts to maintain trust with international partners.
The Chinese Navy on Monday (7 July) conducted a test launch of a long-range ballistic missile from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific region.
China’s state news agency reported that the missile, carrying a dummy warhead, was launched at 12.01 local time and “landed precisely in the designated waters”, without disclosing the location or the type of missile used.
A number of analysts estimate that China tested a JL-2 or JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from one of its Type 094A submarines.
The test was the first submarine-launched missile firing carried out 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 — the first launch targeting that region since 1980.
On the same day, the Chinese government stressed that the ballistic missile test was part of routine annual military exercises, conducted in accordance with international law and not directed at any country or specific target.
“This is a routine arrangement within China’s annual military training programme. It is in line with international law and prevailing international practice, and is not aimed at any country or target,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a press conference in Beijing.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Japan, the United States and South Korea have all expressed concern over China’s test launch of the long-range ballistic missile.