Peters questions missile launch 'coincidence'; urges 'resistance and steel' by Pacific nations
Monday, 13 July 2026
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has questioned the timing of China’s nuclear-capable missile test in the South Pacific, saying it’s an “extraordinary coincidence” it came just hours after Australia and Fiji signed a new defence pact.
Beijing described last Monday’s missile ‒ its first launch from a nuclear-capable submarine into Pacific waters ‒ as a routine military training activity that was not directed at any specific country or target.
The Post asked Peters if he thought the timing of the missile test was calculated or coincidental.
“Well, if it’s a coincidence it’s an extraordinary, extraordinary, extraordinary coincidence,” he replied.
Read more:
China’s 7000km nuclear missile test: Calculated or coincidence?
China’s missile shot into nuclear-free South Pacific not a bolt from the blue
Peters confirmed he was aware some people were of the view that China had more than one option when it came to testing its nuclear-capable missile last week: firing it into the South Pacific or the South China Sea.
“And also the other option, not at all. That’s an option,” he said.
He was clear this was just “an interpretation” he had read ‒ not an official government view ‒ but would not confirm or deny he had any official briefings or intelligence to back that view up.
“I’m very hesitant to answer that question at this point.”
Peters said it was “interesting” the missile had splashed down in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Tuvalu, given that Tuvalu was among a handful of countries that recognise Taiwan instead of China.
Asked what the missile test might mean for the strategic environment, Peters quoted Chinese communist revolutionary and founder of the People's Republic of China Mao Zedong.
“My reading of it is no different from Mao’s thoughts when he said ‘push forward, if you strike mush, push forward further. If you strike steel, pull back.’ That's where we are at now, in my view where we always were at if you were reading the situation properly.”
“[China] should find not mush but resistance and steel and preparation.”
Peters was in Singapore when he learned of Monday’s missile test.
“We immediately recalled saying to [China’s Foreign Affairs Minister] Wang Yi when it happened two years ago, what's going on here? Why is it happening? What is it you’re trying to find out?
“Do you want to tell us that the potential learnings you can get from the southern hemisphere are different from the northern hemisphere. Exactly what's the purpose of this?”
New Zealand did not get a satisfactory response in 2024, he said.
“No we didn’t, but what is different now is the pretension that this is normal when it’s not, and it’s caught the Pacific Islands Forum countries out seriously. We’re concerned as to what’s going on here.”
Peters said the missile was a key talking point at a lunch he had with Pacific Island Forum ambassadors in Japan last week.
“[The feeling among the group was] why on earth is the Pacific being responded to in this way?
“There's no explanation for it, there's no answer for it, there's no proper excuse for it. Just concern but it means we had a very acute discussion on something because the aspects of the matter we're talking about were very real.”
Peters said New Zealand was in “preliminary talks” on joining the Ocean of Peace Alliance with Australia and Fiji.
“The reality is that we have a security issue, a safety issue in terms of our blue continent. The idea that we are in a theatre of glorified peace and tranquillity is just simply wrong, it was never right.”
New Zealand was taking a collective approach to security to ensure defence interoperability with other countries in the South Pacific, he said.
“Everything's changed and we need to have our eyes wide open as to how they have changed and how we behave from a defence point of view from here on in.”
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour said last Monday’s missile launch was deeply concerning and China would ultimately pay the price for it.
“We've been very clear that we don't believe this is how friends treat each other and it's for them to reflect on what sort of relationship they'd like to have because you can't have it both ways. You can't say we are a good friend and fire missiles around somebody's country when they've politely said this is a nuclear-free zone.
“Secondly, friends usually give each other a bit more notice.”
Seymour agreed New Zealand should put up strong resistance to further nuclear-capable missile testing in the South Pacific - adding it was “highly likely” it would soon be signing up to the Australia-Fiji defence pact.
“Let’s not kid ourselves. The world is changing. You see the Ocean of Peace agreement between Australia and Fiji. It's highly likely that we will soon join that.
“You see our commitment in the Defence Capability Plan. I'm proud that our government is doubling defence expenditure over the next five years.
“This is all, in one sense, unfortunate, but let's be clear that we are responding to a changing world and yes we will meet them wherever they'd like to meet us.”
New Zealand was among more than a dozen countries ‒ including the United States and the United Kingdom ‒ who reasserted on Sunday that China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea were illegal based on a 2016 arbitration ruling.
A joint statement issued by the 14 nations said the group rejected “destabilising” actions in the disputed waters that threaten regional stability.