The Chinese Navy carried out a test launch of a long-range ballistic missile on Monday, sparking immediate condemnation from regional powers concerned about Beijing’s growing military presence. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the missile was fired from a nuclear submarine into the South Pacific.
This launch occurred within a region designated as a nuclear-free zone under the 1986 Treaty of Rarotonga. China, which ratified the treaty in 1987, committed to avoiding nuclear missile testing in these waters. Despite the treaty’s existence, Beijing has increasingly conducted larger and more frequent military drills throughout the South Pacific in recent years, including a similar test involving a dummy warhead two years ago.
The latest activity has drawn sharp criticism from regional leaders. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, currently visiting Fiji to strengthen defense ties, accused Beijing of destabilizing the region. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s top diplomat, Winston Peters, expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, noting to the Associated Press that China proceeded with the test within hours of informing them of the planned activity, despite ongoing regional concerns.
In response to the international backlash, Beijing has maintained that the launch was part of its routine military training exercises. To view this video, please enable javascript and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports html5 video.
