The United States has criticised China for providing only a few hours’ notice before conducting a ballistic missile test launch in the Pacific, describing Beijing’s notification as inadequate and below international standards expected of nuclear powers.
A US State Department official said China informed Washington only shortly before the launch on July 6 and failed to provide sufficient details about the test. The missile was reportedly fired from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean during what Beijing described as a routine military exercise.
The launch has drawn criticism from the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, with concerns growing over China’s expanding military capabilities and nuclear programme. Washington said the incident highlighted the need for greater transparency and communication between nuclear-armed nations to reduce the risk of misunderstanding or escalation.
According to the State Department, China’s actions fell well below the notification practices adopted by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P5), the recognised nuclear-weapon states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The official described the launch of a nuclear-capable missile without using established diplomatic advance-notification mechanisms as “irresponsible” and urged Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue on strategic stability and arms control.
China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency defended the launch, calling it a routine part of the country’s annual military training programme and insisting it was not aimed at any specific country or target.
Although Chinese authorities did not disclose the missile model, the state-backed Global Times, citing a military expert, reported that it was likely the JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile, China’s most advanced weapon of its kind. According to a Pentagon report, the JL-3 is capable of reaching the continental United States from waters off China’s coastline.
China has significantly expanded its nuclear arsenal in recent years but has repeatedly rejected US calls for formal arms control negotiations, arguing that Washington possesses a far larger stockpile of nuclear weapons. In 2024, Beijing suspended early-stage nuclear dialogue with the United States in protest over continued US arms sales to Taiwan.
