China fires submarine missile into Pacific as Australia, Fiji ally

China test-fired a nuclear-capable missile into the South Pacific hours after Australia and Fiji sealed a defence alliance, and Canberra condemned the launch as destabilising.

What China fired into the Pacific

China's navy test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine at 12:01pm on 6 July 2026, with state news agency Xinhua reporting the weapon carried a 'training simulation warhead' and landed in designated Pacific waters.verifiedVerified Sourced from China tests long-range missile in South Pacific in move Australia condemns as 'destabilising to region'. A PLA-Navy spokesperson said the missile 'accurately' landed in the target sea area.verifiedVerified Sourced from 'Destabilising' Chinese ballistic missile test in Pacific prompts government concerns.

Chinese officials have not confirmed the missile's model or range, and the exact landing location was not officially disclosed.verifiedVerified Sourced from China tests long-range missile in South Pacific in move Australia condemns as 'destabilising to region'. Analysts in Chinese state media concluded it was most likely a JL-3, the navy's most advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile, which military experts estimate could have a range of at least 10,000 kilometres.

The launch marks the first time China has fired an intercontinental-range missile into the Pacific from a submarine, after a land-based launch in September 2024. Reporting placed the impact near Tuvalu's exclusive economic zone.

Australia condemns the launch

Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed China had notified Australia of the planned test but said the move lacked 'the transparency and reassurance as to intent that the region expects'. She described the launch as 'destabilising' to the Pacific.

Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said Australia had been informed only on 6 July and was 'very concerned about any actions which undermine the stability, the peace, and security of the Pacific'. Defence Industry and Pacific Minister Pat Conroy said the launch was not consistent with The Hague convention on ballistic missile testing, which requires greater notice.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking during a visit to Solomon Islands, said the test was 'a provocative act by China which does destabilise the region' and warned the missile had a capacity 'to cause considerable, considerable damage were it to be weaponised'.

The link to the Australia-Fiji pact

News of the missile test broke just hours after Australia and Fiji signed the Ocean of Peace alliance, a defence pact committing each country to come to the other's aid in the event of an attack. The treaty is Fiji's first alliance and Australia's fourth, after the United States, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Albanese said the agreement was 'one of the most significant endeavours' Canberra had undertaken with any country, and it will be backed by more than $1 billion in Australian spending over a decade on transnational crime, health and infrastructure. Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka called it a 'defining moment'.

Marles said he did not believe the missile test was a response to the pact. Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute disagreed, saying the timing was 'clearly an indication that China will use military force, or the threat of military force, to try to intimidate and coerce small Pacific states'.

China defends the test as routine

China's navy said the launch was 'a routine arrangement of China's annual military training' and that relevant countries had been informed in advance. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the test was 'not directed against any specific country or target' and was 'conducted safely, systematically, and professionally'.

Mao urged critics to hold back, saying: 'We hope relevant countries will not over-interpret it'. The Chinese embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Australian and US officials said on 7 July the test did not comply with international law and was carried out with 'insufficient notice' to nearby countries. Conroy confirmed notice came only hours before the launch.

Regional and US reaction

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale, chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, registered a strong protest directly with China's ambassador, saying 'this is not something a friend does'. 'We don't want to see any more countries testing their ICBMs in the Pacific Islands region. That's the bottom line, be our friend but don't threaten us,' he said.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters called the test 'deeply concerning' and noted the missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone. Japan said it had 'strongly urged' China to reconsider after being informed 90 minutes before the launch.

The US State Department urged China to 'engage in meaningful arms control discussions and commit to a regularised notification arrangement' for all intercontinental-range missile and space launches.

What happens next

Albanese was due to host a trio of Pacific leaders in Brisbane on 8 July, with the missile test and regional security set to dominate the talks. Wong said Pacific Islands Forum leaders had made clear they want the region to be 'an ocean of peace'.

Australia said it would continue to press its concerns with China and call on Beijing to abide by The Hague convention on missile testing. The Ocean of Peace alliance remains open for other Pacific nations to join, and Marles said it could be extended across the region.