China conducts strategic missile test launch in Pacific, raising regional concerns

China announced on Monday that it had conducted a test launch of a "strategic missile" from a nuclear submarine into the Pacific Ocean. The launch, which did not carry a nuclear warhead, has prompted concern from several countries in the Asia-Oceania region, including Japan and Australia, although Beijing had notified them in advance.

The Chinese navy stated in a release that the test launch is "part of China's routine annual military exercises." This occurred as Chinese and Russian navies began their annual joint naval exercises off the coast of Qingdao. However, nothing definitively links the two events.

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This strike was conducted in a regulated and professional manner.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assured that the strike was "conducted in a regulated and professional manner." She added, "We hope that the countries concerned will not overinterpret" the launch.

The Chinese navy described the missile as a "strategic missile" equipped with a "simulated warhead for training." It was launched at 12:01 p.m. from a "nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine" towards "international waters in the Pacific." Details on the exact location remain scarce. The term "strategic missile" often refers to an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of delivering a nuclear warhead over thousands of kilometers. The Ministry of Defence has not yet confirmed if the missile was an ICBM. If launched from a submarine, it could be a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM), possibly a JL-2 or even a JL-3 model, according to experts.

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We hope that the countries concerned will not overinterpret the launch.