On July 6, the People’s Liberation Army Navy conducted a test of a submarine‑launched ballistic missile in the South Pacific, with the missile landing between Tuvalu and the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati, according to maritime notices from the People’s Republic of China. The test is the first publicly reported SLBM launch since 1982 and follows a 2024 Pacific missile test that landed near French Polynesia. Chinese state media reported the launch but did not identify the missile model or exact launch location, noting possible sites in the Bohai Sea or South China Sea. Analysts say the launch is intended to demonstrate a second‑strike capability and to enable strikes on the United States from within PRC internal waters. The missile is believed to be a JL‑3, a system with a reported range of 10,000 kilometers, although Taiwanese officials say it may be a JL‑2 with a range of 8,000 kilometers. The launching vessel was likely a Type 09IV ballistic missile submarine, the PLA’s only active SSBN. US officials estimate that China could possess between 20 and 30 missile‑armed submarines by 2040, up from its current fleet of about a dozen. In the same period, the PLA increased coast‑guard patrols east of Taiwan, deactivating automatic identification systems on ships after roughly 24 hours to impede tracking. PLA publications have emphasized the integration of artificial‑intelligence algorithms into military operations and the development of domestic AI chips. Personnel promotions were announced on July 3, with two officers elevated to full general and new assignments within the Central Military Commission. Separately, the PLA and Russia commenced joint naval exercises near Qingdao from July 6 to July 13, and Japan signed a memorandum to expand defense cooperation with the Philippines, including a transfer of five Japanese destroyer escorts to the Philippine Navy. Australia and Fiji signed a mutual defense treaty on July 6, establishing visiting forces agreements and a mutual defense clause. The series of developments highlights China’s expansion of its nuclear undersea capabilities and its broader strategic outreach in the Indo‑Pacific, while regional partners deepen security ties in response.