WW3 fears as China unleashes nuclear sub missile check in terrifying present of power
China sparks WW3 fears after a ballistic missile was fired from a nuclear submarine into the South Pacific, drawing criticism from Australia, New Zealand and Japan
China tested a ballistic missile in the Pacific sparking WWIII fears(Image: Getty)
China has ignited fears of World War III after a nuclear submarine conducted a long-range ballistic missile test into the South Pacific, coinciding with Australia’s new defence agreement in the region. Beijing has faced backlash from Australia, New Zealand and Japan following Monday’s launch of the dummy warhead, perceived as a show of China’s military strength.
The launch occurred on the same day that Australia and Fiji, an island nation, inked a fresh mutual defence treaty aimed at countering Chinese influence in the Pacific.
“Australia has been clear with China that we regard this as destabilising to the region,” Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong informed reporters in Fiji, reacting to the test.
The New Zealand government revealed it was notified just hours prior to the Chinese test and highlighted that the missile was launched into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.
The zone was created by the 1986 Treaty of Rarotonga, banning nuclear weapons throughout the region, reports the Express.
China ratified the protocols in 1987, vowing not to test nuclear weapons within the zone or threaten to use them against signatories with territory in the region.
Chinese state media reported that the missile carried a dummy warhead. China last executed a missile test in the Pacific two years ago, launching an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead, the first since 1980.
The 2024 launch echoed the trials the United States carries out for its own ballistic missile arsenal, a move experts interpreted as a demonstration of China’s burgeoning superpower status.
Japan’s Defence Ministry voiced apprehension over China’s escalating military activity and called on Beijing to “rethink” its missile testing to prevent the projectiles from flying over Japan or presenting other security threats.
“China’s military activities, combined with its lack of transparency, have become a grave concern for Japan and the international society,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said in Japan, referencing Beijing’s military manoeuvres around Japan and its increased defence expenditure.
In a terse rebuttal to the criticism, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “We hope that the relevant countries will avoid overinterpretation.”
China upholds a “no first use” policy regarding nuclear weapons, but is also actively pursuing nuclear technology and weaponry as part of its long-term strategy to modernise the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a Washington-based think tank, China possesses a fleet of six ballistic-missile submarines and 59 nuclear-powered attack submarines.
In its most recent report to Congress on China’s military capabilities, published in late 2025, the Pentagon estimated that China had a stockpile of approximately 600 nuclear warheads in 2024, adding that the PLA remains on course to deploy more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
