The United States expressed alarm on Monday after China test-fired a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean, the latest demonstration of Beijing's rapid military modernization. The test, conducted from a nuclear submarine, marks a significant step in China's ability to strike the continental United States.
China's routine training or provocation?
Chinese navy spokesperson Wang Xuemeng said in a statement shared on WeChat that the test launch was 'a routine arrangement of China's annual military training,' and that 'relevant countries were informed in advance.' However, New Zealand reported that the test took place only two hours after China informed Pacific nations, raising questions about the sufficiency of the notice.
Monday's test comes two years after China fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into waters near French Polynesia, the first such launch over international waters in more than 40 years. Analysts say the latest test demonstrates growing Chinese capacity to strike the US mainland, even as President Donald Trump pursues a reconciliation drive with Beijing.
US response and arms control concerns
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said, 'At a time when the United States is working harder than ever to prevent nuclear proliferation, China is doing the opposite.' He added that 'Beijing's rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup is of great concern to the region and the world.'
The United States allowed the expiration of New START, the last major arms control pact with Russia, in February, insisting on a new agreement that also includes China. China, whose nuclear arsenal is much smaller than Russia's but growing rapidly, has rebuffed these overtures.
The State Department urged China to 'engage in meaningful arms control discussions and commit to a regularized notification arrangement for all intercontinental-range ballistic missile and space launches.'
Strategic implications in the Pacific
Monitors said the rocket fired from a nuclear submarine appeared to land near the Solomon Islands, the South Pacific nation that forged a secretive security deal with China in 2022—a deal currently under review by a new government.
Lyle Morris, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, noted that the test shows China is moving toward 'a significantly more survivable and longer-range sea-based nuclear deterrent capability.' He added that China's navy 'is capable of targeting the continental United States from bastions close to Chinese waters.'
The show of Chinese military might coincided with Australia and Fiji signing a major defence treaty, part of Canberra's efforts to counter China's influence following the controversial Solomon Islands deal.
