NZ political parties join forces over China's Pacific missile

China launched the missile from a nuclear submarine in the South Pacific, according to state media.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he "totally agrees" with the Government's response to China's firing of a nuclear-capable missile into the South Pacific, warning the region must not become "a militarised zone".

The missile, carrying a dummy warhead, was fired from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, with New Zealand given only hours' notice.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters described the launch as "deeply concerning" yesterday, while ACT's David Seymour said today, "it's not the kind of thing that a friend would do".

Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Hipkins endorsed the Government's response.

"We support our Pacific neighbours in saying that we want the Pacific to be an ocean of peace, and I fully endorse the comments that have been made by our current government about that," he said.

The Labour leader told Breakfast the tests by China were "very concerning" and that he backed the Government's response.

"It's certainly not welcome, and it's not helpful, and it does create uncertainty."

Hipkins said he also agreed with Peters that the test was "certainly not consistent with the spirit of the Treaty of Rarotonga".

Asked if expressing concern was useful, he said: "There's not a lot more that New Zealand can do about it, but I think strongly expressing our concern is the right way to go."

Peters said yesterday that the launch appeared to be part of "a recurring pattern by China", following its test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2024.

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds include wild weather in the South Island, China's missile testing in the Pacific and Donald Trump's interference with the FIFA world cup.

"We as a region should not sit by and allow such tests to become normalised or routine."

Speaking to media today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the test was "concerning".

"The reason is pretty simple, as this is an intercontinental ballistic missile test, the second that we've seen in recent years, having not had one in the region for 40 years from China.

"We are living in a region that is proudly nuclear free and has a history here, but also we don't want to see increasing militarisation in our region, and essentially now this is the second year where we've seen activity from China."

Luxon also noted "there's nothing illegal with what they're doing".

"But I'm telling you, across the Pacific Islands and the Pacific family, we would say, 'hey, listen, this was fired into a nuclear-free part of the Pacific and, secondarily, we don't want to see militarisation. We want to see an Ocean of Peace, as we say at Pacific Island Forum.' So, very unwelcome, very concerning.

"We were informed, we weren't consulted, we were told literally a couple of hours before it actually took place by the Chinese, and I just think it's the wrong course, you know.

"It militarises our region, it's inconsistent with Pacific values, and I think there's going to be quite a big pushback from the Pacific."

Deputy Prime Minister and ACT leader David Seymour told RNZ's First Up this morning the test was "an extremely unwelcome behaviour".

"If you want to be a constructive citizen in this part of the world, you don't fire missiles into the sea with almost no warning. That is the behaviour of a state that doesn't quite seem to know how it would like to connect with the other people in this region," he said.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour (file photo).

Asked if China's position as Aotearoa's top trading partner complicated a response, Seymour said trade "has never prevented New Zealand from expressing its views".

"Our view is that it's deeply concerning the way that China has behaved here, and it's not the kind of thing that a friend would do, so that is really the message, and it leaves the ball in their court," he told RNZ.

Seymour said the test reflected a deteriorating security environment.

New Zealand was warned that China planned to fire a missile into the South Pacific Ocean only hours before the launch, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the test "destabilising for the region" and said it was inconsistent with Pacific Islands Forum leaders' vision of an "ocean of peace".

Wong said the launch came "in the context of a rapid military build-up by China, which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent, that the region expects".

The test came the same day Australia and Fiji signed a mutual defence treaty, and days before Indian PM Narendra Modi visits both countries.

National's Maureen Pugh, Labour's Duncan Webb, ACT's Laura McClure and NZ First's David Wilson visited in May.

In September 2024, China fired an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific, which Peters described at the time as "concerning".

Chinese naval activity closer to New Zealand has also increased.

In February 2025, a Chinese warship carried out live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea, and three warships sailed through the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand that same month - the first time such a task group had been sighted in those waters.

Meanwhile, last month, China sanctioned four New Zealand MPs who visited Taiwan on a cross-party diplomatic trip, banning them from China, Hong Kong and Macau for a year.