“INFORMED WITHIN HOURS”
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the country was deeply concerned by the test.
“It appears that despite our long-standing concerns about this type of activity, China carried out the test within hours of informing us,” Peters said in a statement.
“New Zealand considers this an unwelcome and concerning development. We, like our neighbours in other Pacific countries, have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a testing site for missile capability,” Peters said in a statement.
Japan’s government said it received notification of the missile launch and urged China to reconsider.
“We expressed our grave concern over the Chinese military’s increased activity,” Tokyo said, adding that Chinese authorities had notified Japan’s Coast Guard on Sunday about space debris that could fall within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Kyodo news agency reported on Monday, citing a Japanese government source, that the missile had landed outside Japan’s EEZ.
Japan did not receive any reports saying the test damaged its aircraft or ships, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference.
Responding to regional criticisms, Mao said the launch was conducted “safely, in a standardised and professional manner throughout”.
“We hope relevant countries will not overinterpret the matter,” she said at a briefing in Beijing.
It is rare for China to fire long-range missiles into the sea. China last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2024, a launch that highlighted the country’s increasing military capabilities.
The latest test comes as China steps up military activity across the region. A senior Taiwanese security official said on Monday that Taiwan is tracking an “upward trend” in Chinese naval movements during the peak military exercise season, including joint drills with Russia.
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