China gave little notice, detail to US before July 6 missile test, State Dept official says
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- China gave the United States only a few hours notice before launching a ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific on July 6, according to a State Department official speaking on July 8
- The State Department said China's notification 'fell considerably short of standards adopted by all other P5 nuclear weapon states,' singling out Beijing among the five recognized nuclear powers
- Chinese state media confirmed the submarine-launched ballistic missile test, drawing criticism and concern from the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan
- The State Department official framed the test as occurring amid what they called China's 'rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup,' citing it as 'of great concern to the region'
Why it matters: China is the only P5 nuclear power not meeting the group's shared pre-launch notification standards, and the submarine-launched test drew immediate concern from five Pacific nations including Japan and Taiwan — meaning Beijing's nuclear transparency remains the outlier among the world's five recognized nuclear states while its neighbors track a visibly expanding arsenal.
