Sri Lanka, July 6 -- China says one of its submarines has test-launched a ballistic missile with a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong accused China of "destabilising" the region, while Beijing called it a "routine part of China's annual military program".

The test launch came hours after Australia signed a new defense pact with its Pacific island neighbour Fiji.

Australia has sought to strengthen its Pacific relationships after China signed a security pact with Solomon Islands in 2022, sparking fears Beijing could one day set up a permanent military base there.

Beijing had informed Canberra of its plans to conduct the missile test hours before, Defense Minister Richard Marles said at a press ...