China test fires missile into Pacific, alarming regional powers

China test-fired a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific (with a dummy warhead), which Beijing called a routine exercise.
Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan expressed concern, with some calling the launch provocative or an attempt to intimidate.
The test’s timing — just after an Australia–Fiji defence pact — fuelled talk that China might be sending a political signal in the South Pacific.