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The China-Global South Podcast: China’s Pacific Missile Shock Explained

zapier

July 25, 2026

nuclear signaling, Pacific fortress politics, Pacific strategic shifts, podcasts, submarines and sanctions, Taiwan’s leverage, The China-Global South Podcast

Listen: https://ift.tt/mLxKOjZ

Two weeks ago, a PLA Navy submarine in the South China Sea test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile that flew 7,300 kilometers before splashing down in the South Pacific. The launch drew sharp criticism from several Pacific Island countries, whose leaders argued that it violated the region's longstanding identity as a nuclear-free zone.

To be clear, the test did not violate international law or established norms. The United States, France, and other nuclear powers have conducted similar missile tests in the Pacific for decades.

Even so, Zhang Denghua, a senior research fellow at the Australian National University's Department of Pacific Affairs and CGSP's non-resident fellow for the Pacific, argues that the launch could erode Beijing's hard-earned influence in the region. He joins Eric to discuss the strategic implications of the test, China's intensifying competition with traditional powers in the Pacific, and why Taiwan remains such a potent issue for Beijing in this part of the world.

📌 Topics Covered in This Episode