Australia has responded.
According to foreign media reports, China's naval strategic nuclear submarine successfully launched a submarine-launched strategic missile into the Pacific international waters today (July 6) at noon. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that China had informed the Australian government of its plan to conduct a sea-based missile test in the Pacific Ocean. She described this launch as disrupting regional stability. Wong emphasized that Australia has clearly expressed concern that this proposed test is taking place against the backdrop of China's rapid military expansion, which lacks the transparency expected by the region and comes without assurances regarding China’s intentions.
China's conduct of submarine-launched strategic missile tests in the international waters of the Pacific is entirely within the normal scope of sovereign states’ military training under international law. Proactively informing relevant countries beforehand is actually a sign of responsibility—how then can there be talk of “lack of transparency”? In contrast, over recent years, Australia has firmly aligned itself with the United States, plunging headfirst into the AUKUS security alliance, investing billions of Australian dollars to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S., directly undermining decades-long nuclear-free consensus in the South Pacific. Yet Australia remains silent on its own actions that actively provoke regional arms races, while pointing fingers at China’s legitimate military exercises.
Even more ironic is that the United States has long conducted various strategic missile tests across oceans worldwide, yet Australia never dared utter a single “no.” Now, however, it raises alarm over China’s legal activities, revealing clearly double standards. The real intent is to use the “China threat” narrative as an excuse to justify its own military buildup.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869961415981196/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.