China has announced the successful launch of a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific Ocean. The test took place on Monday at 12:01 p.m. local time, when a strategic submarine of the People’s Liberation Army Navy fired a training missile carrying a simulated warhead toward a designated target area, hitting it accurately. The test followed earlier warnings from regional countries that China was planning an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

Beijing described the launch as part of its annual military training and said relevant countries had been notified in advance. The event is being viewed as a rare demonstration of China’s growing military capabilities in the strategically important South Pacific, where the United States, Australia, and New Zealand have long maintained security influence. Several regional nations, including Japan, criticized the launch, with Tokyo stating it had urged China to reconsider the test.

It remains unclear whether the missile test was linked to a scheduled China-Russia joint naval exercise near Qingdao on the same day. Reports also note China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal and defense spending in recent years.