On Monday, the Chinese Navy conducted a missile test in the South Pacific, with state media reporting that a nuclear submarine fired a missile carrying a dummy warhead into international waters.
The test quickly drew harsh criticism from US allies in the Pacific. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Chinese test was destabilizing for regional security. Japan called on China to reconsider its actions.
New Zealand said it does not want China to use the South Pacific as a testing ground for missiles. "We are deeply concerned about China's tests of nuclear-capable weapons in the South Pacific," Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in Wellington
During the Cold War, the US tested numerous nuclear weapons around the South Pacific's Bikini Atoll, which today is part of the Marshall Islands. Since World War II, the US has dominated the postwar security architecture in the Pacific region.
What do we know about China's missile test?
