China Tests Strategic Missile in Pacific, Sparks Global Attention

 

By Abdulahi Musa 

China on Monday carried out a strategic missile test in the Pacific Ocean, saying the launch was part of its routine annual military training and that relevant countries had been informed in advance. 

According to the Chinese navy, a strategic nuclear submarine of the People's Liberation Army Navy launched the missile, which carried a simulated training warhead. The missile reportedly struck its designated target area in the high seas of the Pacific Ocean with accuracy. 

Navy spokesperson Wang Xuemeng described the exercise as a normal component of China's yearly military drills, insisting that the test complied with established procedures and posed no threat to any specific country. 

The missile launch coincided with the commencement of the annual joint naval exercises between China and Russia near Qingdao, a major Chinese naval base. However, authorities did not confirm whether the missile test was directly linked to the bilateral military exercise. 

Earlier, officials from Papua New Guinea and New Zealand disclosed that China had notified them in advance of plans to conduct a missile launch into the Pacific. Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister, Justin Tkatchenko, confirmed receiving direct communication from the Chinese ambassador regarding the exercise. 

The latest launch comes nearly two years after China conducted a rare long-range missile test over international waters in September 2024, when a missile carrying a dummy warhead landed near French Polynesia. Defence analysts have since warned that such tests and expanded Chinese naval activities are likely to become more frequent across the Pacific region.