A nuclear-powered People’s Liberation Army submarine fired a test missile on the high seas in the Pacific on Monday, according to state media.
The missile was fired at 12.01pm, state news agency Xinhua said.
It added that it was a routine test and was not aimed at any specific country or target. The report said that relevant countries had been notified ahead of time.
The test was China’s first known submarine-based missile test since 1982, and the first known to have been fired from a nuclear-powered submarine. These submarines typically have a longer operational range and deployment period compared with conventional submarines.
The governments of Japan and Australia confirmed they had been given advance notice of the launch.
According to Agence France-Presse, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand were also notified.