Anadolu staff
12 July 2026•Update: 12 July 2026
Australia on Sunday said that China's test launch of a nuclear-capable missile has strengthened the case for a regional security pact within the Pacific.
Pacific Minister Pat Conroy argued that the test has damaged China's standing as a potential regional partner, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
"I don't think this was conducive to China's standing in the region," Conroy told ABC's Insiders this morning.
Responding to a question as to whether the missile test has emboldened countries in the region to pursue a regional security agreement, Conroy said the incident underscored the need for Pacific-led security.
"This would take a number of years if the rest of the Pacific was up for it, but ultimately it is a decision for all the Pacific leaders and we act on a consensus approach," he further said.
On Monday, China "successfully" conducted the test launch from a nuclear submarine, hours after Beijing notified several Pacific nations of the planned test.
China called the launch "routine," but Pacific leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, sharply criticized the test as "provocative" and "destabilizing."
The launch marks China's second strategic missile test since it fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean in September 2024, the first such test since 1980.
