Wellington, July 20: Recently, the launch of a nuclear-capable missile from a Chinese submarine has not garnered the attention it deserves. A report indicates that the United States is preoccupied with ongoing conflicts in West Asia, leading to insufficient monitoring and discussion of this significant event.
According to a report by the Asia Media Center, “The level of scrutiny and attention this test warranted was not met. Since late February, the U.S. has been engaged in a conflict with Iran. This struggle intensified during the week of the Chinese launch, as Washington conducted strikes on numerous Iranian sites following attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. For several months, U.S. military capabilities and diplomatic resources have been focused on this ongoing conflict in the Gulf region.”
The Asia Media Center, a resource center providing expert opinions and contextual material on Asia-related topics to New Zealand journalists, published the report.
Writer Divya Malhotra asserts that it cannot simply be said that China took advantage of the situation to conduct this test. Beijing claims it was part of its annual military training program.
Malhotra wrote, “This test occurred at a time when the largest nation capable of responding seriously to China’s nuclear signals, namely the U.S., was fully occupied on another front. Observers of strategic affairs in Tokyo, Canberra, and New Delhi must have taken note.”
She emphasized that this does not lessen concerns in the Pacific region. “The fall of any missile within the South Pacific nuclear-free zone is primarily a matter for New Zealand and its strategic neighbors. Even before this test, rising nuclear instability in the entire region was a cause for concern.”
The report indicates that this is not an isolated incident. It recalls China’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in the Pacific Ocean in September 2024, marking the first time in 44 years that China conducted such a test in international waters. This was followed by land-based silo ICBM tests in December 2024.
The report states, “All these events clearly indicate that China is no longer merely a country with limited and secretive nuclear capabilities. It is expanding its nuclear arsenal, strengthening it, and is now more comfortable showcasing it to the world.”
According to Malhotra, this test signals that China is no longer developing its nuclear weapons covertly but is openly demonstrating their capabilities.
The report concludes, “When considering China’s rapidly expanding submarine fleet, this test appears to be more than just a one-time display of power. Instead, it seems to be a calculated step toward the continuous deployment of nuclear-armed submarines at sea. The U.S., France, and the U.K. have conducted such continuous maritime nuclear patrols for many years.”
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