The Chinese Navy conducted a test launch for a long-range ballistic missile on Monday, drawing condemnation from other regional powers over Beijing's increasing displays of military might.
According to the official Xinhua news agency, the missile was launched by a nuclear submarine in the South Pacific. The area is known as the nuclear-free zone due to the 1986 Treaty of Rarotonga, in which signatories agreed not to test nuclear warheads there. China ratified the treaty in 1987.Why China is surging its nuclear forcesTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Australia: China is 'destabilizing' South Pacific
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong accused Beijing of "destabilizing" the region while on a visit to Fiji to boost defense ties.
"It appears that despite our long-standing concerns about this type of activity, China carried out the test within hours of informing us" that it would take place, New Zealand's top diplomat Winston Peters told the Associated Press.
