China on Monday conducted a rare test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean, sparking criticism from New Zealand and Australia for actions that they said threatened peace and stability in the region.

International Reaction

New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters said China fired the missile on Monday into waters of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, established in 1986 by the Treaty of Rarotonga. China signed protocols II and III of the pact in 1987.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday called the test “destabilizing to the region.” The test must be viewed “in the context of a rapid military build-up by China, which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent that the region expects,” Wong said.

Military Build-Up

China has been building up its nuclear-powered sub fleet as part of an overall boost to its nuclear forces. The PLA Navy operates two types of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, the JL-2 and the JL-3. The latter has sufficient range to reach the continental United States from waters off the coast of China, including the South China Sea.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.