The Presidential Office says China is causing an international alarm and urges the country to exercise restraint and return to a rules-based international order. That came from Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) on Tuesday, July 7, following the Chinese navy test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile from a submarine in the Pacific Ocean on Monday.

The PLA Navy confirmed that a nuclear-powered submarine launched an intercontinental ballistic missile with a training warhead into the open waters of the Pacific Ocean at 12:01 p.m. on Monday.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry says the launch of a strategic missile toward the Pacific undermined regional peace and stability and drew concern from the international community. The ministry condemned these actions, which threaten the peaceful status quo. It added that in recent years China has continuously sought to unilaterally alter the status quo through gray zone activities including military intimidation, economic coercion, and cognitive warfare, which escalated regional tensions and posed a serious challenge to the rules-based international order. This latest missile test only deepens neighboring countries’ concerns about Chinese expansionism.