Updated July 6, 2026 – 2:52 pm,first published 14:17 Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. TOTOTO China is preparing to test a long-range nuclear-capable missile with a simulated warhead in the South Pacific in the next 24 hours, diplomats in the region
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China is preparing to test a long-range nuclear-capable missile with a simulated warhead in the South Pacific in the next 24 hours, diplomats in the region have been told.
The news, delivered to regional governments on Monday afternoon, came just hours after Australia and Fiji signed a new defense alliance.
Diplomatic sources confirmed to this newspaper that Chinese officials had informed several regional governments, including Australia and New Zealand, about an upcoming test of intercontinental ballistic missiles in the Pacific.
One source said China had published a NOTAM (Notice for Air Missions), an official public notification process issued to airmen and sailors, advising them to avoid the region because they would be conducting tests.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s office has been contacted for comment.
Previously, China test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean in September 2024, the first such test since 1980.
The 2024 test involved launching a missile carrying a dummy warhead from Hainan Island, a Chinese province in the South China Sea.
It traveled some 11,500 kilometers before landing in the waters of the exclusive economic zone of French Polynesia. China’s Defense Ministry said at the time that the test was a “legitimate and routine arrangement for military training,” in line with international law and not directed at any country or target.
It is unclear exactly where the missile will be fired.
These tests typically take a long time to prepare, suggesting that the upcoming launch is not a spontaneous response to the Fiji-Australia alliance.
China’s largest spy ship, the Liao Wang 1, has been tracked operating north of Papua New Guinea in recent days.
The Chinese navy conducted live firing exercises in the Tasman Sea in February 2025, forcing commercial airlines to change their flight routes.
More to come
Matthew Knott is foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect through X, Facebook either email.
Lisa Visentin is the North Asia correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age based in Beijing. He was previously a federal political correspondent based in Canberra.Connect through X either email.From our partners
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