Albanese brands China's nuclear-sub ICBM test 'provocative'
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- Anthony Albanese, speaking from the Solomon Islands, called the test 'a provocative act by China which does destabilise the region' and warned the nuclear-capable ICBM could cause 'considerable damage' if weaponised.
- Xinhua reported the PLA navy launched a 'strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead' from a 'strategic nuclear submarine' toward 'relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean,' landing 'precisely within the designated waters' (no location given).
- Matthew Wale, Solomon Islands leader and Pacific Islands Forum chair, registered a 'strong protest' directly with China's ambassador: 'We don't want to see any more countries testing their ICBMs in the Pacific Islands region. Be our friend but don't threaten us.'
- Pat Conroy, Australia's defence industry and Pacific Island Affairs minister, said the test was 'not consistent with The Hague convention on ballistic missile testing,' noting China gave only hours of pre-launch notice — confirmed publicly by ministers Penny Wong and Richard Marles just before firing.
- Mao Ning, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, called the launch 'routine' annual military training 'in accordance with international law and practice,' insisting relevant countries 'were notified in advance' and telling critics to 'not over-interpret it.'
- Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's national security council, posted a map showing the missile's path over the Philippines, Micronesia and Palau, landing south of Nauru — calling it 'a provocation that destabilizes the IndoPacific' and 'China just proved itself again to be a bully on the block.'
- Tommy Pigott, US state department spokesperson, said 'Beijing's rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup is of great concern' and urged China to 'engage in meaningful arms control discussions' and commit to 'a regularized notification arrangement for all intercontinental-range ballistic missile and space launches.'
Why it matters: The test delivered only hours of pre-launch notice to countries in the missile's path — a violation of Hague convention standards that Conroy explicitly cited. With Albanese hosting three Pacific leaders in Brisbane within 24 hours of condemning the launch, Australia faces immediate pressure to convert rhetorical criticism into coordinated regional arms-control demands.
