Photos have been released of the nuclear-capable test missile fired by China in the South Pacific.
The photos, which were released by Xinhua News Agency and obtained by the Associated Press, show the long-range ballistic missile being launched from a Chinese nuclear-submarine.
Yesterday, 1News reported New Zealand and Australia were only given hours’ notice before the missile was launched at 12.01pm (US time), shortly after Australia and Fiji signed a comprehensive and elevated security pact on mutual defence.
It was a move New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters labelled “deeply concerning”.
The incident has also caused New Zealand's political parties to join forces – with Labour leader Chris Hipkins endorsing the Government’s response this morning.
After the missile had been launched, 1News Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver wrote the time of publicly tip-toeing around China’s geopolitical push in the Pacific seemed to be over.
It was not the first time China had fired missiles into the Pacific. It did so in 2024, when a missile flew past parts of Kiribati.
Early last year, Chinese warships also carried out live firing exercises between Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand was not the only country expressing concern at the latest launch.
AAP reported Australia Defence Minister Richard Marles was also “concerned”.
“We've expressed that very clearly to China,” Marles said.
According to the Associated Press, Japan's Defence Ministry urged Beijing to “rethink” its testing.
“China’s military activities, combined with its lack of transparency, have become a grave concern for Japan and the international society,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.
Beijing however dismissed the concern.
“We hope that the relevant countries will avoid overinterpretation,” a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
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