New Zealand was given only hours' notice before China launched a long-range ballistic missile into the South Pacific from one of its nuclear-powered submarines, a move Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has described as "deeply concerning".
Chinese state media said the missile, carrying a dummy warhead, was launched at 12.01pm (US time) into the Pacific Ocean.
Peters issued a statement on Monday afternoon, confirming the "deeply concerning" development.
"Earlier today, China informed us of its plans to launch a long-range ballistic missile into the South Pacific. It appears that, despite our long-standing concerns about this type of activity, China carried out the test within hours of informing us.
"The Pacific is an Ocean of Peace and we are deeply concerned by China’s testing of nuclear-capable weapons into the South Pacific."
New Zealand was warned that China planned to fire a missile into the South Pacific Ocean only hours before the launch, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said. (Source: 1News)
Peters said New Zealand considered the planned missile test an unwelcome and concerning development. "We, like our neighbours in other Pacific countries, have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a testing site for missile capability.
"Launching ballistic missiles into the South Pacific is at odds with the spirit and intent of the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace. This missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone established by the Treaty of Rarotonga. China’s action goes against the object and intent of that Treaty.
"We will be talking with our Pacific partners about this development. Pacific leaders have been clear we do not want to see the region become a theatre for outside military competition. This launch is not consistent with regional stability, and peace in the South Pacific.
"We are also concerned that this now seems to be a recurring pattern by China, following its test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the South Pacific in 2024. We as a region should not sit by and allow such tests to become normalised or routine."
Peters added: "New Zealand will continue monitoring the situation in close coordination with regional partners".
Australia calls Chinese ICBM test 'destabilising for the region'
Australia also condemned the firing of the test missile, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong describing it as "destabilising for the region".
"Australia has been clear that this proposal, this proposed test, is in the context of a rapid military build-up by China, which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent, that the region expects," she said in a statement to media.
"I would make this point, the Pacific Islands Forum leaders have made clear that they want the Pacific to be an Ocean of Peace. We believe this test is inconsistent with that objective."
The test firing followed the signing of a mutual defence treaty between Australia and Fiji today. The "Ocean of Peace" alliance leaves the door open for other Pacific nations to join, and comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continues a multi-country tour securing security deals across the region.
It was not China's first missile test in the South Pacific.
In September 2024, China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific. Foreign Minister Winston Peters described the decision at the time as "concerning".
Chinese naval activity closer to New Zealand has also increased.
In February last year, a Chinese warship carried out live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea, and three Chinese warships sailed through the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand that same month — the first time such a task group had been sighted in those waters.
Last month, China sanctioned a group of four New Zealand MPs who visited Taiwan on a diplomatic trip – banning them from China, Hong Kong and Macau for a year.
National's Maureen Pugh, Labour's Duncan Webb, ACT's Laura McClure and NZ First's David Wilson visited Taipei in May as part of a cross-party Parliamentary group aiming to improve relations between New Zealand and Taiwan.
The missile test also comes in the same week that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting both Australia and New Zealand.
