China Tests Pacific Missile With Potential Reach to the U.S.

China confirmed yesterday (Monday) that it carried out the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean.

China's state news agency, Xinhua, reported that at 12:01 p.m. local time, the Chinese navy launched a "strategic" missile equipped with a dummy warhead from a nuclear submarine.

The report did not identify the type of missile or disclose where it landed, but said it "accurately hit the designated waters." Xinhua described the launch as "a routine test conducted as part of the Chinese military's annual training program," adding that it "was carried out in accordance with international law and international practices, and is not directed against any country or target."

Later, the state-run Global Times reported that the missile was a JL-3, China's latest submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear warheads. The missile was publicly unveiled during a military parade in Beijing last year.

According to a 2023 Pentagon report, the JL-3 is designed for China's new generation of nuclear submarines. Its long range would allow it to strike the continental United States while the submarine remains near China's coastline.

The launch drew criticism from several countries in the region, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan.

New Zealand's government said it had received advance notice from China several hours before the launch but nevertheless condemned the test.

"It appears that despite our long-standing concerns about activity of this kind, China carried out the test hours after notifying us," New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. "We have no interest, like our neighbors in other Pacific nations, in China using the South Pacific as a testing ground for its missile capabilities."

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also criticized the launch, warning that it "undermines" regional stability.

Taiwan, which faces ongoing military pressure from Beijing, likewise condemned the missile test, calling it "an attempt by China to intimidate the international community."