China's first South Pacific SLBM test draws mixed regional reaction

China conducted its first-ever submarine-launched ballistic missile test into the South Pacific in early July, a capability with nuclear warhead potential, provoking anger from Washington and Canberra. Pacific island states showed a measured response, with some leaders criticizing the test while the Pacific Islands Forum's broader reaction remains nuanced. This marks a strategic shift in the region's security dynamics, traditionally dominated by US missile testing, and signals growing great-power competition in the Pacific.