China Conducts Rare Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile Test in Pacific
China conducted its first publicly acknowledged strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile test into the Pacific Ocean on July 6, 2026, launching a dummy warhead and drawing criticism from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan for actions they said threatened regional stability.
Historic Test
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy conducted its first publicly acknowledged strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile test into the Pacific Ocean on July 6, 2026. The missile was launched at 12:01 p.m. and carried a dummy warhead, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
China's Rationale
A People's Liberation Army Navy submarine "launched a strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead toward relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean, which landed precisely within the designated waters," said a statement from Senior Capt. Wang Xuemeng, a spokesperson for the PLA Navy. Wang stated that "this test launch was a routine part of China's annual military training schedule" and that "the operation was in accordance with international law and practice, targeting no specific country or objective." Relevant nations were informed in advance about the test.
Regional Concerns
China's action sparked criticism from New Zealand and Australia for actions that they said threatened peace and stability in the region. Australia called the Chinese launch destabilizing, while New Zealand said the missile impacted within the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone established by the Treaty of Rarotonga in 1986. Japan strongly urged China to reconsider the test, saying "we strongly called for a rethink of the ballistic missile test-firing, so that it won't pose a threat to Japan's security such as by passing through Japan's airspace."
Strategic Significance
If paired with longer-range follow-on SLBMs, future Type 096 units would allow China to sustain more regular deterrent patrols from protected waters, with the July 2026 launch fitting into a broader transition from a limited retaliatory force toward a larger, more redundant and more survivable nuclear structure. The U.S. State Department said it had monitored the launch of a nuclear-capable but unarmed "intercontinental-range ballistic missile" and urged China "to engage in meaningful arms control discussions," saying its "rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup is of great concern to the region and the world."