Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has condemned China's recent test of a nuclear-capable submarine-launched missile in the South China Sea as "provocative and destabilising," warning that Australia and neighbouring nations will not be bullied by such actions. Speaking at the 59th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) foreign ministers' meeting in Manila, Wong said the test "came with too little information and notification" and reflected China's rapid military buildup without adequate transparency. Her remarks came alongside warnings about escalating tensions in the Middle East, where renewed US-Iran hostilities are threatening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and driving fuel prices sharply higher across the Asia-Pacific region.