China tests long-range missile in South Pacific in move Australia condemns as ‘destabilising to region’ | China

China has tested a long-range missile in the South Pacific, a move condemned by the Australian government as “destabilizing the region” and criticized by other regional leaders.

A test missile with a dummy warhead landed in “designated waters” of the Pacific, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday. Xinhua said the missile test was a “routine arrangement” of China’s annual military training, with advance notification to relevant countries.

The exact location of the test was unknown. The New Zealand government noted that it was informed in advance about the planned launch times and that the missile was fired at the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.

The Test comes after Australia and Fiji signed a major defensive alliance earlier in the day; Both countries pledged to come to the other’s aid in the event of an attack.

Australian deputy foreign minister Matt Thistlethwaite told the ABC the government did not believe there was a link between the alliance announcement and the testing, but another federal government source told the Guardian they believed the events were linked.

The Chinese embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Australia’s acting prime minister, Richard Marles, said China had only informed his country of plans to test a long-range missile in the Pacific region to Mondy, amid reports that it was a nuclear-capable device with a dummy warhead.

On Monday afternoon, Marles said at a press conference: “We were informed today by China of its intention to conduct this test.”

“This is a long-range missile test and we are gravely concerned by any actions that would undermine the stability, peace and security of the Pacific,” he said.

Xinhua reported that the test was conducted soon after.

“PLA Navy said that a strategic nuclear submarine of the navy successfully launched a strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead towards the relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean at noon (sic) on Monday, and this missile landed exactly in the designated waters,” Xinhua reported online.

Countries ‘deeply concerned’

Thistlethwaite said Australia was “deeply concerned” and had “raised these concerns to both Beijing and the Chinese government in Canberra”.

“I think the motivations behind this are of interest to the Chinese government. I think the Australian public and indeed the Pacific public want to know the motivations behind this,” Thistlethwaite said.

New Zealand’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, also described the test as “extremely worrying” and criticized “China carrying out the test just hours after informing us”.

“The Pacific is an Ocean of Peace, and we are deeply concerned that China is testing nuclear-capable weapons in the South Pacific.”

In the statement made by the Japanese government, it was stated that it tried to persuade China not to fire the test missile and “expressed serious concerns about China’s increasing military activities.”

Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said she would “leave it to China to discuss its intentions” but said Australia had been aware of the presence of a Chinese working group in the region “for some time”.

“I can confirm that the Australian government has been informed by the government of the People’s Republic of China that it intends to test a sea-based missile in the Pacific. Australia has been clear with China that we view this as destabilizing in the region,” Wong said from Fiji, where he was traveling with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“Australia has been clear that this proposal, this proposed test, is in the context of a rapid military build-up by China that lacks the transparency and assurance that the region expects. I would like to point out that leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum have made clear that they want the Pacific to be an Ocean of Peace. We believe this test is inconsistent with that goal.”

Wong did not confirm whether Australia had been informed of the missile’s potential nuclear capability. He said Australia had been informed on Monday afternoon that testing would take place “within the next 24 hours”.

The testing reportedly took place around the same time.

China last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2024; it was a rare event that underlined the country’s growing military capabilities.

Data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, a New Zealand ship tracking company, showed three Chinese satellite tracking ships positioned across the Pacific.

The two ships left China around June 25 and are currently located near the Federated States of Micronesia. The third left China at the beginning of May and is currently at the port in Suva, Fiji’s capital.

“These ships carry large satellite dishes used to track missile launches and other space activities, and are likely in the Pacific to collect data from the missile test, which China has told regional governments to expect within 24 hours,” said Mark Douglas, a Starboard analyst.

Pointing out the departure times of the Chinese ships, he said, “This test was planned long in advance. However, the notification that came the day after Australia and Fiji signed the Peace Ocean Alliance is interesting, to say the least.”

Reuters contributed to this report