China test-launches submarine ballistic missile in South Pacific, drawing regional protests

BANGKOK — China’s navy test-launched a long-range ballistic missile Monday from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific in a rare move that drew protest and concerns from countries in the region. The missile was launched at 12:01 p.m. and carried a dummy warhead, according the official Xinhua News Agency. China last conducted a missile test in the Pacific two years ago, then firing an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead. That previous launch in international waters was the first in decades since 1980. The launch was part of routine annual training, complied with international law and practice, and was not directed against any country or target, according to a short statement from Xinhua, which was reposted by the Ministry of Defense. The 2024 launch mirrored testing that the United States does for its own ballistic missile fleet, which experts viewed as an assertion of China's growing superpower status. Australia, Japan and New Zealand criticized the launch. The New Zealand government said it was informed of the planned launch hours beforehand an

China’s navy has test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific

BANGKOK — China’s navy test-launched a long-range ballistic missile Monday from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific in a rare move that drew protest and concerns from countries in the region. The missile was launched at 12:01 p.m. and carried a dummy warhead, according the official Xinhua News Agency. China last conducted a missile test in the Pacific two years ago, then firing an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead. That previous launch in international waters was the first in decades, since 1980. The launch was part of routine annual training, complied with international law and practice, and was not directed against any country or target, according to a short statement from Xinhua, which was reposted by the Ministry of Defense. The 2024 launch mirrored testing that the United States does for its own ballistic missile fleet, and experts then viewed it as an assertion of China's growing superpower status. Australia, Japan and New Zealand criticized the launch. The New Zealand government said it was informed of the planned launch hours before

On July 6 China carried out long-rage ballistic missile tests in the South Pacific

China's military test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from one a nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific, drawing protest and concern from countries in the region.

State media say China’s military test-launched a ballistic missile Monday from a submarine in the Pacific