00:05China has just carried out one of its most significant military tests in decades.
00:11A submarine-launched ballistic missile has been fired deep into the South Pacific.
00:17It is China's first known submarine-based missile test since 1982.
00:23Security experts say it marks a major milestone in Beijing's growing nuclear capabilities.
00:30The launch took place on July 6, 2026.
00:35According to China's People's Liberation Army Navy, a nuclear-powered submarine fired what it called a strategic missile carrying a
00:44dummy-training warhead.
00:46The missile was launched at 12.01 p.m. local time and landed accurately in a designated area of the
00:54high seas in the Pacific.
00:56Beijing insists this was nothing unusual.
01:00Chinese officials described it as a routine annual military training exercise conducted in accordance with international law.
01:08They also said relevant countries had been informed in advance and stressed that the launch was not directed at any
01:15specific nation.
01:17But the significance goes far beyond China's official explanation.
01:22Defense analysts believe this is the first publicly known launch from one of China's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines,
01:30most likely a Type 094 Jin-class submarine.
01:35That demonstrates an increasingly credible second-strike capability.
01:39In simple terms, it means China is strengthening its ability to respond with nuclear weapons even after suffering a first
01:48strike.
01:48The launch also highlights rapid progress in China's nuclear triad.
01:53That is the ability to deliver nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea.
01:58A stronger sea-based deterrent makes China's nuclear force more survivable and much harder to track.
02:06The reaction across the Indo-Pacific has been swift.
02:10New Zealand called the launch deeply concerning, saying it received only a few hours' notice,
02:16despite the missile being fired into the South Pacific nuclear-free zone.
02:20Australia also describes the test as destabilizing for the region, especially as it came soon after Canberra signed a new
02:29defense agreement with Fiji.
02:31Japan expressed serious concern over China's expanding military activity, and confirmed it had urged Beijing to reconsider before the launch.
02:41This is not the first time China has demonstrated long-range missile capabilities over the Pacific.
02:48In September 2024, Beijing carried out a rare intercontinental ballistic missile test from land.
02:55Now, by successfully launching from a submarine, China is signaling that its sea-based nuclear force is becoming more capable
03:04and more operational.
03:05Critics see the test as another example of increasingly assertive military signaling across the Indo-Pacific.
03:14China, however, maintains that it is simply conducting normal training as part of its national defense program.
03:21With regional tensions already high, this latest missile test is expected to intensify debate over military transparency, nuclear deterrence, and
03:32the future security balance across the Indo-Pacific.
03:35The story is still developing, with more international reactions expected in the coming hours.
03:53be very successful.
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