China test-launches ballistic missile from sub in South Pacific, draws protests
China's military test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from one a nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific, drawing protest and concern from countries in the region.
Updated on: July 6, 2026 / 5:26 AM EDT / CBS/AP
The missile was launched at 12:01 p.m. and carried a dummy warhead, according the official Xinhua News Agency.
China last conducted a missile test in the Pacific two years ago, firing an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead. That previous launch in international waters was the first in decades, since 1980.
Monday's launch was part of routine annual training, complied with international law and practice, and was not directed against any country or target, according to a short statement from Xinhua, which was reposted by the Ministry of Defense.
The 2024 launch mirrored testing that the United States does for its own ballistic missile fleet, and experts viewed it at the time as an assertion of China's growing superpower status.