JAKARTA - China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific Ocean on Monday. The ICBM maneuver, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, has been protested by six countries in the Pacific region.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement posted on the official government website: "The launch test is a routine part of China's annual military training, in accordance with international law and practice, and is not directed against any country or specific target."
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"Relevant countries have been notified in advance, and it is in accordance with international law and practice. The launch activity was conducted safely, systematically, and professionally. We hope relevant countries will not overinterpret it," she said.
Beijing did not specify what type of missile was tested.
For context, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) operates two types of submarine-launched ballistic missiles: the JL-2 and JL-3. According to missile experts, the JL-3 has sufficient range to reach the US mainland from waters off China's coast, including the South China Sea.
China's main ballistic missile submarine is the Type 094, also known as the Jin-class, with six units in service.
Beijing rarely reports its missile tests, but according to the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the JL-3 was first tested in 2018 and again a year later.
Although China stated its actions were routine drills, six countries protested the ICBM maneuver.
1. New Zealand
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said China fired the missile into the waters of the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone, established in 1986 by the Rarotonga Treaty. China signed protocols II and III of the pact in 1987.
Protocol II calls on signatories not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against other states or their territories within the zone. Protocol III prohibits nuclear testing in the zone.
"Today, China informed us of its plan to launch a long-range ballistic missile into the South Pacific," Peters said on Monday, as quoted by CNN, Tuesday (7/7/2026).
"New Zealand considers this an unwelcome and concerning development. We, like our neighbors in other Pacific countries, are not interested in China using the South Pacific as a test site for its missile capabilities," Peters said.
