US leads international concern after China test-fires missile into Pacific
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Li Xiangchao/Xinhua via AP)
The United States voiced alarm on July 6 over Beijing's nuclear program after China test-fired a purported long-range missile into the Pacific Ocean, the latest move in its rapid military modernization.
Monday's test came two years after China fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the waters near French Polynesia, in what had been the first launch of such a missile over international waters in more than 40 years.
Analysts said that the test demonstrated growing Chinese capacity to strike the mainland of the United States, which sees the Asian power as its top adversary despite a reconciliation drive under President Donald Trump.
