On July 7, 2026, the Chinese Navy conducted a missile test in the South Pacific, where a nuclear submarine fired a missile carrying a dummy warhead into international waters, according to state media reports.

The missile tested is part of the Julang (JL)-3 series, a submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile with a reported maximum range of 12,000 kilometers (7,400 miles) and capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads. Lieutenant Colonel Zhang Junshe, a researcher with the People's Liberation Army Naval Military Academic Research Institute, confirmed the missile's specifications. The JL-3 missile is still under development, with three successful tests reported between 2018 and 2019.

The test has sparked condemnation from US allies in the Pacific. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the test as destabilizing for regional security. New Zealand expressed opposition to China using the South Pacific as a missile testing ground. Foreign Minister Winston Peters of New Zealand stated in Wellington, "We are deeply concerned about China's tests of nuclear-capable weapons in the South Pacific."

Historically, the South Pacific's Bikini Atoll, now part of the Marshall Islands, was used by the US for nuclear weapons testing during the Cold War.

According to the Washington-based think tank Nuclear Threat Initiative, China operates 59 nuclear-powered attack submarines in addition to its Jin-class submarines. The Chinese submarine fleet is considered capable of launching a nuclear counterstrike even if other military weapons are disabled.

China is viewed as aggressively challenging the US-led regional security architecture on multiple levels, with this missile test underscoring its growing military capabilities.

Sources