AdvertisementAdvertisementAustralia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (left) attends the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting and related meetings at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Jul 11, 2025. (File photo: MOHD RASFAN)22 Jul 2026 01:58PM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST MANILA: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Wednesday (Jul 22) she raised concern over Beijing's test of a nuclear-capable missile in the South Pacific, calling the launch "destabilising" in a meeting with her Chinese counterpart in Manila.The remarks came a day after the envoy slammed China's "dangerous conduct" following a clash between Philippine and Chinese sailors at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.A Chinese submarine fired the ballistic missile fitted with a dummy warhead earlier this month, reaching far into the Pacific Ocean."We have made clear publicly and directly to China that we regard the missile test as destabilising and we ... put that directly to Foreign Minister Wang Yi in my discussions (with him) yesterday," she told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of Southeast Asian ministers in the Philippines.Show MoreShow Less"We want a region which is peaceful, stable and prosperous. We want a region where countries, all powers, including great powers, observe international law and, in particular, the law of the sea," she said.CNA Explains: Why China's rare missile test is putting the Pacific on edgeAustralia has previously said it did not receive sufficient notice of the missile test and a dozen Pacific Island countries have denounced it for violating the region's wish to remain free of nuclear weapons testing.Monitors have said the rocket appeared to land in a patch of ocean somewhere between the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu.Asked about Monday's incident at Second Thomas Shoal, in which a Philippine sailor was allegedly struck on the head with a baton, Wong reiterated that Australia had "real concerns about behaviour that is destabilising and risky".On Tuesday, during a visit to a Philippine coast guard vessel, Wong announced the donation of "413 million pesos (US$6.7 million) worth of cutting-edge drone technology and operator training to the Philippine Coast Guard".Source: AFP/gsNewsletterMorning BriefSubscribe to CNA’s Morning BriefAn automated curation of our top stories to start your day.NewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST