41 Nations Demand 24-Hour Notice for Ballistic Missile Launches

• Generic class of the ballistic missile or space launch vehicle
• Planned launch notification window
• Launch area
• Planned direction of the launch
• Clear safety warnings for airmen and mariners consistent with international standards, including expected impact and landing areas

U.S. Separate Criticism of China

The United States, in a separate national statement, sharply criticized China for providing "at most two hours' notice" before the July 6 SLBM launch . U.S. officials stated that China's notification "came only a few hours before the launch and failed to provide sufficient detail, falling considerably short of standards adopted by all other P5 nuclear weapon states" . The U.S. characterized China's action as part of a "rapid and opaque nuclear weapons build-up" .

Reactions from Key Indo-Pacific Allies

• Japan: Co-led the joint statement alongside the U.S. and South Korea, calling the insufficient notice "dangerous" and disruptive to regional peace and security .
• Australia: Was a signatory to the joint statement as one of the 41 nations .
• New Zealand: Was notified by China several hours before the launch, along with Japan, Australia, and Papua New Guinea, but joined the international condemnation of the insufficient notice .

Broader Context: Hague Code of Conduct and Risks of Miscalculation

The joint statement emphasized that "regularized, transparent notification arrangements do not constrain any nation's military development or operational needs" but instead "reduce the risk of miscalculation, build confidence, and reflect a shared commitment to strategic stability" . It warned that "conducting nuclear-capable ballistic missile tests without sufficient advance notice and detail is dangerous and disrupts the peace and security of relevant nations in proximity to these tests" .

The statement referenced the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC) as the existing framework for such notifications, implicitly warning that states falling short of their responsibilities will be held accountable by the international community .

China's Response

China rejected the joint statement. Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Chijiang stressed that China's "legitimate and reasonable defense modernization should not be called into question" and warned against "political manipulation" of Beijing's goodwill in providing advance notification . China maintained that it had informed relevant countries in advance, with a Defense Ministry statement asserting the test demonstrated "the openness and transparency of the Chinese military" .

The July 6 SLBM Test

The test itself marked a significant milestone: China publicly acknowledged launching a strategic missile from a ballistic missile submarine into the Pacific Ocean for the first time in years . Analysts identified the weapon as either a JL-2 or JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missile, launched from a 094A-type nuclear-powered submarine, likely from the South China Sea . The missile carried a simulated training warhead across a flight path of roughly 7,300 kilometers, overflying parts of the Philippines and landing in the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone .