HOBART, Australia: On Monday (Jul 6), a Chinese navy submarine fired a long-range ballistic missile into international waters in the South Pacific. The nuclear-capable missile, which was launched from underwater and carried an inert dummy warhead, is believed to have splashed down near Tuvalu.The Chinese government said the event “was a routine part of China’s annual military training programme” and was “not directed against any specific country or target”. It added that other countries had been notified, and urged them not to “over-interpret it”.Reactions from Australia, New Zealand and Japan were immediate and pointed, with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong calling the test “destabilising”.Commentators were quick to link the test to a new defence pact between Australia and Fiji, sig