Tuesday, July 07, 2026

Capitals - Agencies:

Chinese state media announced that the navy of the People's Liberation Army conducted yesterday a test launch of a missile from a nuclear submarine towards the Pacific Ocean, a step that drew criticism and concerns from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, which considered such moves to increase security tensions in the region.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported that a Chinese navy nuclear submarine launched the missile, fitted with a dummy warhead, at 12:01 p.m. local time towards international waters in the Pacific Ocean, confirming that the missile landed in a 'predetermined sea area' without revealing its location or additional details about the flight path or the type of missile used.

The agency explained that the launch was part of 'routine arrangements' for annual military exercises conducted by the Chinese armed forces, stressing that the test does not target any specific country or entity and falls within the framework of regular training plans to enhance military readiness.

Despite this clarification, the test prompted swift reactions from several countries in the region. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong considered the advance notification she received a positive step but described the launch as a 'destabilizing factor' in the Indo-Pacific region.