Chinese nuclear submarine launches missile into the Pacific Ocean

“At 12:01 on July 6, the Chinese navy’s strategic nuclear submarine successfully launched a strategic missile carrying a simulated warhead into international waters in the Pacific Ocean, hitting the designated target area,” Chinese navy spokesman Wang Xuemeng announced.

Mr. Wang described this as the “annual training content” of the Chinese military, emphasizing that the country has notified relevant countries in advance. Beijing affirmed that the test was in accordance with international law and practice and was not aimed at a specific country.

This is the first time China has conducted a strategic missile test in the past two years. In September 2024, Beijing fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a simulated warhead. The projectile landed in the waters near French Polynesia, marking the first time the country launched an ICBM into international waters in more than 40 years.

The missile launch took place the same day China and Russia began annual naval exercises off the coast of Qingdao city. Officials from both countries did not comment on whether the test was within the framework of the exercise or not.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the country had expressed “deep concern” about China’s increased military activities, adding that Tokyo had asked Beijing to reconsider its missile launch plan.

Australian Foreign Secretary Penny Wong said the launch risked destabilizing the region. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said this country and other Pacific island nations do not want the area to become a missile testing ground.

Jeffrey Lewis, a missile expert at Middlebury University in the US, said that China launched the JL-3 missile, tested since 2018 and first launched last year, with an estimated range of more than 9,000 km. He said China will likely increase the frequency of testing nuclear warhead systems in the coming years, instead of maintaining a limited number of launches as before.

According to Pentagon estimates, China possesses more than 500 nuclear warheads and could increase this number to more than 1,000 by 2030.