China missile test shakes Pacific islands' anti-nuclear unity

International relationsAustralia-led statement stalls as some neighbors shy away from condemnationOn July 6, China's military conducted a test launch of a missile carrying a training warhead from a submarine in the South Pacific. (Xinhua via Kyodo)YUKIO TAJIMA and RURIKA IMAHASHIAugust 4, 2026 03:59 JSTBEIJING/SYDNEY -

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) carried out a missile test in the Pacific last month. The July 6 launch – in which a dummy warhead travelled 8,000km (5,000 miles) – was China’s first confirmed submarine-based missile test since 1982, and the first known firing from a nuclear-powered submarine. The type of missile us