CNA Explains: Why China's rare missile test is putting the Pacific on edge

East Asia

China has tested a long-range missile into the Pacific for only the second time in decades. The move is raising questions about its growing nuclear strength - and what it means for the Indo-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 submarine in the South Pacific on Jul 6, 2026. (Photo: AP/Xinhua/Li Xiangchao)

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CNA Explains: Why China's rare missile test is putting the Pacific on edge

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