China conducts submarine-launched ballistic missile test in the Pacific

On July 6, 2026, at 12:01 local time, the Chinese Navy successfully launched a strategic ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into international waters in the Pacific Ocean. The missile carried an inert training warhead and landed in a designated area. Beijing stated the launch was part of routine annual exercises and that relevant regional countries were notified in advance. This marks the first such test by China in approximately two years. The United States Department of State expressed serious concern, describing the launch as a manifestation of China's rapid and opaque expansion of its nuclear arsenal. Washington argued that this development undermines international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation and reiterated its call for China to engage in substantive arms control negotiations. The launch occurred amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the South Pacific, where various nations are forming security alliances.