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Gabriel Dominguez

The United States and 40 other nations have called for at least 24 hours’ notice before long-range ballistic missile launches, following a rare Chinese missile test in the Pacific last month that they said raised concerns over accidents and military miscalculation.
In a joint statement released by the US State Department on Tuesday, the governments called on countries – particularly nuclear-weapon states – to provide advance warning for launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and space launch vehicles.
While the statement did not name China, it criticised “recent missile testing activity in the Pacific area” that it said had failed to follow standard notification practices adopted by most states.
Beijing has rejected the statement, with one of its ambassadors accusing Washington of “political manipulation”.
The Chinese foreign ministry on Wednesday denounced the joint statement, with spokesman Guo Jiakun saying the signatories had invoked the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation to target China’s missile tests.
“This is entirely politically motivated and fully exposes their hypocrisy and double standards,” Guo said in Beijing.
“China urges relevant countries to stop abusing multilateral arms control mechanisms, replace unwarranted confrontation with sincere dialogue, and create the necessary conditions for strengthening dialogue and exchanges in the field of arms control.”
Besides calling for at least 24 hours’ notice, the 41 countries requested information on the general class of missile, planned launch window, launch area and intended direction. Governments should also issue warnings to aircraft and ships about expected impact or landing areas.
“Conducting nuclear-capable ballistic missile tests without sufficient advance notice and detail is dangerous,” the statement said, warning that this increased the risk of miscalculation and undermined global stability and security.
The statement added that the US itself offered advance notice of launches in line with the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, a voluntary 145-country agreement.
It was signed by US allies and partners including Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and the Philippines, as well as Palau and the Marshall Islands.


The statement follows China’s July 6 test of a submarine-launched strategic missile. The missile, carrying a dummy warhead, was launched from a nuclear-powered PLA Navy submarine and landed in the southern Pacific Ocean.
Beijing described the test as part of its annual military training and said relevant countries had been notified in advance.
Yet experts say it was the way those warnings were issued that drew criticism.
Michael Bosack, director of the Parley Policy Initiative, said shortcomings in Beijing’s notifications helped explain why the 41 governments were now seeking clearer standards for what constitutes adequate advance warning.
According to Bosack, Beijing initially told its Japanese counterparts that the notification concerned space debris and provided different coordinates to various governments. Some governments were notified only hours before the launch, he said.
“The specificity of the expectations as described in the joint statement is important, because the Chinese government did provide some form of advance notification ahead of its July launch,” Bosack said.
Rather than being a “symbolic protest letter” condemning China, he argued, the statement presented “a practical set of expectations”.
“If it happens during a period of heightened tension and someone tracks a missile launch, they may assume that it is not just a test and take counteraction against it.”


The danger could increase further if a missile malfunctioned and debris landed in another country, he added.
China says that it is not bound by the Hague Code and has accused Washington of politicising Beijing’s voluntary advance notification of the July test.
China’s ambassador for disarmament affairs, Li Chijiang, told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Tuesday that Beijing had notified the US and other countries before the launch and taken measures to ensure it did not harm the interests of others.
Li accused Washington of “blatant double standards”, arguing that China was not a subscribing state to the Hague Code and therefore was not bound by its notification requirements.
But greater transparency also presents a potential dilemma for Beijing.
Bosack said China’s resistance to calls for more detailed advance notification could stem from concerns that this could make it easier for other countries to collect intelligence on its missile tests.
“If the US and its allies know where to look because of the notification, they can gather data on the flight parameters and capabilities of Chinese missile systems,” he said.
Bosack noted that the joint statement was not aimed at creating a new notification mechanism, but rather at reinforcing internationally accepted standards.
It came days after foreign ministers and senior officials representing the 18 Pacific Islands Forum member states failed to agree on a collective response to the Chinese test at a meeting in Suva, Fiji. Differences emerged over whether a statement should specifically address China’s actions or missile launches in the Pacific more broadly.
The People’s Liberation Army’s July launch came less than two years after Beijing launched an ICBM into the Pacific in September 2024, another unusual long-range test by the Chinese military.
Additional reporting by Liu Zhen


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Beijing denounces move as ‘politically motivated’ and urges that ‘countries stop abusing multilateral arms control mechanisms’


Beijing denounces move as ‘politically motivated’ and urges that ‘countries stop abusing multilateral arms control mechanisms’.


Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

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After China’s missile test, US and allies demand 24-hour warning next time

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Beijing denounces move as ‘politically motivated’ and urges that ‘countries stop abusing multilateral arms control mechanisms’

Beijing denounces move as ‘politically motivated’ and urges that ‘countries stop abusing multilateral arms control mechanisms’