China Test-Fires Strategic Missile from Nuclear Submarine in Pacific... Japan Expresses "Serious Concern"

Strategic Missile Launch from Nuclear Submarine Revealed
First Test Since 2024 ICBM Launch in Nearly Two Years

On July 6, China’s military announced that it had test-fired a strategic missile from a nuclear submarine into international waters in the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government stated that it was notified in advance but expressed serious concerns over the expansion of military activities.

Wang Xuemeng, spokesperson for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, announced on social media that at 12:01 p.m. local time, a strategic nuclear submarine launched one submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) equipped with a training dummy warhead in international waters of the Pacific Ocean, successfully hitting the designated area.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo by Yonhap News.

China explained that the launch was part of its annual military exercises, that relevant countries had been notified in advance, and that the measures were in accordance with international law and norms. However, it did not disclose details such as the missile type, range, or the exact impact location.

This test marks the first strategic missile launch in one year and ten months since China fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific international waters in September 2024. At that time, China conducted an ICBM test toward the Pacific for the first time in 44 years since 1980, and foreign media speculated that the missile launched was from the Dongfeng (DF)-31AG series, which is capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

According to local media reports, after receiving prior notification from China, the Japanese government called for a cautious response to ensure the safety of its territory.

The Japanese government stated that the missile did not pass over Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and that there was no damage to aircraft or ships. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara criticized, “China’s military activities lack transparency and are a matter of serious concern for Japan and the international community.”

The Japanese government also explained that the previous day, China had notified the Japan Coast Guard of the expected area for space debris to fall, and while some of these areas included Japan’s EEZ, the actual impact site was confirmed to be outside the EEZ.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautioned against exaggerating the concerns of the international community. Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated in a regular briefing, “The related launch activities were conducted in accordance with safety standards and professional procedures,” adding, “We hope relevant countries do not overinterpret this matter.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.