WASHINGTON — The United States is pushing back against China after Beijing provided only a few hours of advance warning before firing a ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean on July 6, a State Department official announced Wednesday.
Chinese state media confirmed the missile launch took place Monday, triggering criticism from the U.S., Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan.
A State Department official said the warning China gave was far too little and lacked critical detail. “China’s notification to the United States came only a few hours before the launch and failed to provide sufficient detail, falling considerably short of standards adopted by all other P5 nuclear weapon states,” the official stated. The P5 refers to the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — the only countries officially recognized as nuclear-weapon states under the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The official went on to say the test was deeply troubling given China’s ongoing military expansion. “The test occurred amid China’s rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup and is of great concern to the region,” the official added.
In a statement to Reuters, the official described the launch as “irresponsible,” noting that China failed to use the standard diplomatic channels for advance notification that other nations follow when conducting such tests.
The official also called on Beijing to engage in constructive talks, saying, “We urge Beijing to engage in meaningful discussions on strategic stability and arms control,” while affirming that the U.S. “remains steadfast in its defense commitments to our allies and partners.”
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency characterized the launch as a “routine arrangement” tied to annual military training exercises, emphasizing it was not aimed at any particular country or target. China’s embassy in Washington had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
While China did not identify the specific missile used, state-controlled tabloid Global Times, citing a military expert, suggested it was likely the JL-3 — China’s most advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile. According to a Pentagon report, that missile is capable of reaching the continental United States from Chinese coastal waters.
China has been rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal and has repeatedly rejected U.S. attempts to start arms control negotiations. Beijing has long maintained that the U.S. already holds a significantly larger nuclear stockpile. In 2024, China suspended early-stage talks with Washington over the issue, citing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory despite Taiwan’s democratic self-governance.
