China Tests Submarine-Launched Missile in Pacific

Overview

• China's navy fired a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine on Monday that officials said carried a training warhead and fell in a predesignated area of the Pacific.
• Beijing described the launch as a routine annual exercise and said it had notified regional authorities while giving few details on the missile model or the exact impact location.
• Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States publicly expressed concern, with Australia calling the test desestabilizing and the U.S. urging China to join arms-control talks.
• Independent analysts cited in reports say the weapon may have been the JL-3, a newer submarine-launched ballistic missile that would extend China's sea-based strike range.
• The test coincided with the start of China-Russia naval drills and follows a pattern of larger, less-transparent missile and naval activity that could prompt more regional security measures and further tests.