France, July 8 -- "It's the first known submarine-based missile test since 1982," according to Professor Michael Dillon, a China specialist affiliated with the Lau China Institute at London's King's College, and "the first ever from a nuclear-powered submarine."

According to Dillon, Beijing wants to demonstrate that "the Chinese Navy is here and it is in a position to fire missiles."

China's state-controlled People's Daily called the launch a "routine arrangement of the annual training of the PLA Navy."

But Australia's PM Anthony Albanese, on a visit to the Solomon Islands called it a "provocative act by China which does destabilise the region," during a joint press conference with the Solomon's PM Mathew Wale, who remarked that he lau...