China Defends Missile Test Notification After US Criticism

China has forcefully rejected US criticism over its July 6 submarine-launched ballistic missile test, accusing Washington of “typical double standards and hegemonism” after the State Department complained that Beijing provided only a few hours’ notice with insufficient detail. The exchange marks the latest flashpoint in escalating strategic competition between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.

The Missile Test

On July 6, a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine — believed by experts to be a 094-class vessel — launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) toward the South Pacific Ocean. According to Xinhua News Agency, the missile carried a simulated warhead and “accurately hit the predetermined sea area.” Experts widely believe the missile was the JL-3 (Julang-3), China’s newest submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile with an estimated range exceeding 13,000 kilometers.

China stated it notified relevant countries in advance, including the United States, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Japan confirmed receiving notification 90 minutes before launch. The US, however, stated it received only “a few hours” notice with insufficient detail — failing to specify the missile type or exact trajectory.

US Criticism and China’s Response

US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott criticized China’s notification as falling “considerably short of standards adopted by all other P5 nuclear weapon states,” according to China Strategy. “At a time when the United States is working harder than ever to prevent nuclear proliferation, China is doing the opposite,” Pigott said. “Beijing’s rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup is of great concern to the region and globally.”

At a regular press conference on July 9, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning delivered a pointed rebuttal. As documented in the full official transcript, Mao stated that the test was “a routine annual military training arrangement, aimed at verifying the reliability, safety, and effectiveness of relevant weapon systems” and that China had “issued timely information and notified the United States and others in advance, demonstrating the openness and transparency of the Chinese military.”

Mao directly turned the criticism back on Washington: “The United States — as the only country in the world that has actually used nuclear weapons, and the country with the world’s largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal — organizes nuclear submarine strategic missile launches every year, yet it makes irresponsible remarks and points fingers at China’s normal missile launches. This is typical double standards and hegemonism.”

Regional Reactions

The test drew widespread condemnation across the Indo-Pacific. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was in Fiji signing a mutual defense treaty on the same day, called the test “destabilizing and provocative,” as reported by BBC Chinese. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters described it as “an unwelcome and concerning development,” adding that Pacific Island nations do not want to see “China using the South Pacific as a testing ground for its missile capabilities.”

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale — whose country signed a security agreement with China in 2022 — notably criticized the test, stating: “This is not the act of a friend.” The remark highlights the diplomatic pressure facing Pacific Island nations caught between China’s growing influence and Western security concerns.

Strategic Timing and Implications

The missile test coincided with the signing of the “Ocean of Peace Alliance” mutual defense treaty between Australia and Fiji in Suva — Australia’s fourth formal alliance. The New York Times reported that the timing appeared deliberate, demonstrating China’s ability to project power into the South Pacific at the very moment Australia was seeking to strengthen its regional security architecture.

Georgetown Professor Evan S. Medeiros, a former White House National Security Council director for China, told The New York Times that the test signals China has achieved a credible sea-based nuclear deterrent. “The most fundamental thing is that China needs to technically verify its latest submarine-launched ballistic missile capability,” Medeiros said. “But it’s also sending a broader message to the world — that China now has a fully operational nuclear triad.”

This was only the third time China has publicly conducted a long-range missile test across the Pacific Ocean, following tests in 1980 and September 2024. Experts suggest more tests are likely as China accelerates its nuclear modernization. The JL-3 missile, publicly displayed at the 2025 Beijing National Day military parade, represents a major leap forward for China’s sea-based nuclear forces — historically the weakest leg of its nuclear triad.

Analysis: A Dispute Over Norms

The notification dispute reflects fundamentally different interpretations of international expectations. China argues it is being held to a higher standard than the US holds itself — the US conducts 5-10 ICBM and SLBM tests over the Pacific annually. The US counters that China’s nuclear buildup is “rapid and opaque,” lacking the transparency and arms control engagement that Washington and Moscow have maintained.

As China Strategy noted, the gap in expectations reflects broader tensions: China believes it is being held to a higher standard than the US holds itself, while the US sees China’s behavior as part of a pattern of opaque nuclear expansion that threatens regional stability.

What to Watch

The incident raises several open questions. Will China conduct more Pacific missile tests as part of a new testing strategy? How will the Australia-Fiji alliance reshape Pacific Island diplomacy? And perhaps most significantly, will the US and China engage in arms control dialogue following this confrontation — or will the strategic competition continue to escalate?

For now, the dispute over a few hours’ notice has laid bare the deep mistrust between Washington and Beijing, with the South Pacific emerging as a central arena for their rivalry.