The Department of National Defense (DND) on Tuesday expressed grave concern over China’s recent ballistic missile test in the South Pacific.

“A reckless display of military power that shows little regard for smaller countries and the fragile ecological systems that sustain their people,” the DND said in a statement sent to the DAILY TRIBUNE.

“This launch serves no peaceful purpose and is a calculated act of taunting and provocation against those who reject China’s illegal expansionism and coercive conduct,” the department said.

It added that the Philippines “stands with its Pacific partners in calling on China to act responsibly and stop turning shared seas into arenas of intimidation and imperial ambition.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), through Special Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad (Ret./Res.), meanwhile said China’s recent ballistic missile test “compounds existing regional anxieties.”

“The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s recent test launch of an intercontinental strategic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean, while noted as part of an annual training routine, is a demonstration of advanced strategic nuclear capability that compounds existing regional anxieties,” Trinidad said.

“In line with the Department of National Defense and national government pronouncements, the AFP maintains that peace, stability, and adherence to international law must guide all state actions in the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

According to Trinidad, as the country approaches the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Victory on July 12, “the AFP remains firm in its mandate to protect our sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. We call for transparency, restraint, and a cessation of actions that escalate tensions or threaten the rules-based international order.”

Other countries raise concerns

China’s test-firing of a missile from a nuclear submarine that landed in “designated waters” also drew criticism from nearby countries.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that China had notified the government of plans to conduct a sea-based missile test into the Pacific, but said the action was “destabilising” to the region.

“Australia has been clear that this proposed test is 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 told reporters during a news conference in Suva, Fiji.

Japan’s government said it was notified of the missile launch and had urged China to reconsider.

“We expressed our grave concern over the Chinese military’s increased activity,” the government said, adding that Japan’s coast guard had been notified on Sunday by Chinese authorities about falling space debris that could land within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The government of New Zealand also said it had been informed of the planned launch only hours before it took place.

“New Zealand considers this an unwelcome and concerning development. We, like our neighbours in other Pacific countries, have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a testing site for missile capability,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.

China’s state news agency, Xinhua News Agency, reported that the Chinese navy test-launched the long-range ballistic missile at 12:01 p.m. (04:01 GMT) on Monday from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific.

Xinhua said the test was a “routine arrangement” under China’s annual military training program and was not directed at any specific target.

74 Chinese vessels monitored in WPS in June

Meanwhile, the AFP reported that it monitored 74 vessels from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) across four key maritime features in the West Philippine Sea during June. These consisted of 41 vessels at Bajo de Masinloc, including 16 PLA-N and 25 CCG vessels; 16 vessels at Ayungin Shoal, including four PLA-N and 12 CCG vessels; eight vessels at Escoda Shoal, including five PLA-N and three CCG vessels; and nine vessels at Pag-asa Island, including four PLA-N and five CCG vessels.

“These figures underscore the conduct of ICAD (Illegal, Coercive, Aggressive, and Deceptive) activities that undermine the rules-based international order and violate the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its maritime domain. Such actions contribute to regional tensions and highlight the importance of continued vigilance and adherence to international law,” the AFP said.

“Amid these developments, the Armed Forces of the Philippines remains steadfast in fulfilling its mandate to safeguard the nation’s maritime interests through sustained operational presence, enhanced maritime domain awareness, strengthened inter-agency coordination, and continued capability development, thus protecting national sovereignty, upholding maritime security, and promoting peace, stability, and the rule of law in this part of the globe,” it added.