On 6/7 at 12:01, a Chinese navy strategic nuclear submarine successfully launched a strategic missile carrying a simulated warhead into international waters in the Pacific Ocean. Chinese navy spokesperson Wang Xuemeng announced the missile struck its designated target area.
Wang described this as "annual training" for the Chinese military, emphasizing that the country had notified relevant nations in advance. Beijing asserted the test complied with international law and practice, and was not aimed at any specific country.
This marks China's first strategic missile test in two years. In September 2024, Beijing launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a simulated warhead. That missile landed in waters near French Polynesia, marking the first time China had launched an ICBM into international waters in over 40 years.
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A JL-2 ballistic missile launched from a Chinese submarine in an image released in 2024. Photo: CSIS |
A JL-2 ballistic missile launched from a Chinese submarine in an image released in 2024. Photo: CSIS
The missile launch occurred on the same day China and Russia began their annual naval exercise off the coast of Qingdao. Officials from both countries did not comment on whether the test was part of the exercise.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated that Japan has expressed "deep concern" about China's increased military activities, adding that Tokyo had previously asked Beijing to reconsider its missile launch plans. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong commented that the launch risks destabilizing the region. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said his country and Pacific island nations do not want the region to become a missile test site.
Jeffrey Lewis, a missile expert at Middlebury College in the US, believes China launched a JL-3 missile. This missile, tested since 2018 and debuted last year, has an estimated range of over 9,000 km. He suggested that China might increase the frequency of testing nuclear warhead delivery systems in the coming years, rather than maintaining previously limited launches.
According to Pentagon estimates, China currently possesses over 500 nuclear warheads and could increase this number to over 1,000 by 2030.
By Thanh Danh, from Global Times, AFP, and Times.
