US criticizes China for short notice ahead of missile test

China only gave the United States a few hours notice ahead of a ballistic missile test launch on July 6 and provided insufficient detail, a State Department official said on Wednesday.



China's military test-fired the missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific on Monday, Chinese state media reported, drawing criticism from the U.S., Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.



The State Department official's comments on Wednesday amplified Washington's increasing concern about the launch.



"China's notification to the United States came only a few hours before the launch and failed to provide sufficient detail, falling considerably short of standards adopted by all other P5 nuclear weapon states," the official said. The P5 are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and are the only nations recognized as nuclear-weapon states under the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.