Beijing set to launch South Pacific long-range intercontinental ballistic missile amid Australia-Fiji defence pact
Updated ,first published
Diplomats in the region have been told that China is preparing to test a nuclear-capable long-range missile with a dummy warhead in the South Pacific within the next 24 hours.
The news, delivered to regional governments on Monday afternoon, came just hours after Australia and Fiji formed a new defense alliance.
Diplomatic sources confirmed in this article that Chinese officials have informed various regional governments, including Australia and New Zealand, about the upcoming intercontinental ballistic missile test in the Pacific.
A source said China issued a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions), a formal public information process advising airmen and sailors to stay away from the area because they would be testing.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong’s office has been contacted for comment.
China had previously tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean in September 2024; this was the first test since 1980.
The 2024 test involved firing a missile carrying a dummy warhead from the Chinese province of Hainan Island in the South China Sea.
It traveled approximately 11,500 kilometers before landing in waters in French Polynesia’s exclusive economic zone. China’s defense ministry said at the time that the test was a “legitimate and routine arrangement for military training”, was in line with international law and was not aimed at any country or target.
It is not clear exactly where the missile will be fired.
Such tests often take considerable time to prepare, suggesting that the upcoming launch is not a spontaneous response to the Fiji-Australia alliance.
China’s largest spy ship, Liao Wang 1, has been detected operating in the north of Papua New Guinea in recent days.
The Chinese navy conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea in February 2025, forcing commercial airlines to change their flight routes.
More to come
Matthew Knott is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect with: X, Facebook or email.
Lisa Visentin is the North Asia correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Beijing. He was previously a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
