A defence analyst has warned that China’s recent test of a nuclear-capable long-range missile highlights Australia’s vulnerability to advanced missile threats, saying cities such as Brisbane and Sydney could be within the weapon’s range.
China launched the missile, fitted with a dummy warhead, into the Pacific Ocean on Monday as part of what it described as a routine military training exercise.
According to Chinese state media, the missile landed in a designated area between Nauru and Tuvalu after Beijing notified relevant governments ahead of the launch.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the test complied with international law and was “not directed against any specific country or target.”
However, Director of Strategic Analysis Australia, Michael Shoebridge, said the launch should be viewed as a significant security concern.
Shoebridge said the missile appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile with an estimated range of about 10,000 kilometres, capable of reaching major Australian cities if armed with a nuclear warhead.
“It can reach from Beijing to Brisbane with distance to spare. It could also reach Sydney and is nuclear-capable,” he said.
He argued that the test reflects China’s expanding military reach across the Indo-Pacific and exposes what he described as Australia’s lack of effective long-range missile defence capabilities.
According to Shoebridge, China’s military activities in the region have steadily increased in recent years, including live-fire naval exercises conducted between Australia and New Zealand.
He said Australia currently lacks sufficient systems to defend either its military forces or civilian population against advanced ballistic missile attacks.
The missile test came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended regional meetings in the Pacific aimed at strengthening security cooperation with neighbouring countries.
Australia recently signed the Ocean of Peace Alliance with Fiji, an agreement that includes mutual security commitments and could eventually be expanded to include other Pacific nations.
Shoebridge argued that such regional security agreements would have limited value unless Australia also strengthens its missile defence capabilities.
Speaking during a visit to the Solomon Islands, Albanese described China’s missile launch as “provocative” and warned that it risked undermining peace and stability in the Pacific.
“We don’t want to see any action that is destabilising or undermines the peace, security and stability of the Pacific and the broader region,” the Prime Minister said.
He also expressed concern over the nuclear-capable nature of the missile, adding that the world needed fewer nuclear weapons rather than more.
China defended the launch, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stating that it was a routine part of military training and had been conducted safely after notifying relevant countries.
The missile test comes amid growing strategic competition between China and Western allies across the Indo-Pacific, with Australia continuing to deepen security partnerships with Pacific nations while Beijing expands its diplomatic and military presence in the region.
