Pacific Nations Split Over China's Missile Launch
Pacific Island foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint response to China's July missile launch into the Pacific, exposing divisions within the region as Beijing's growing influence continues to test regional unity
Pacific Island foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint response to China’s missile launch into the Pacific last month, highlighting divisions within the region over how to respond to Beijing’s growing strategic presence. The issue was discussed during the Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers’ meeting in Suva, Fiji, but member states were unable to reach a consensus. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the matter would likely be revisited when Pacific leaders gather for their summit later this month. China’s July missile test, which saw a missile fired into the Pacific Ocean, raised concerns among several regional governments and traditional partners, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States. However, those concerns did not translate into a unified regional statement. Speaking after the meeting, Peters said two member countries refused to support the proposed joint statement but declined to identify them or explain their objections. “I won’t name them,” Peters told reporters. A regional official familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the two countries were Nauru and Kiribati. The disagreement comes despite repeated calls by Pacific leaders to present a united front on regional security issues. Last year, Forum leaders endorsed the “Ocean of Peace” declaration, aimed at preserving stability and ensuring the Pacific remains free from escalating geopolitical rivalry. China has significantly expanded its footprint across the Pacific in recent years through infrastructure investment, diplomatic engagement and security partnerships, developments that have drawn increasing attention from Canberra, Wellington and Washington. Peters suggested that outside powers were influencing some Pacific nations’ positions, though he stopped short of naming the country he believed was behind the resistance to the joint statement. “The Pacific is a blue continent, peaceful, secure and our job… is to make sure it stays that way,” he said. Opening the meeting, Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela, who chaired the gathering, urged members to keep the region’s agenda firmly in Pacific hands. “The Pacific’s agenda must continue to be conceived by the Pacific, shaped by the Pacific and only by the Pacific,” he said. He also warned that increasing geopolitical competition should not divide Pacific nations but instead strengthen regional solidarity and consensus. The failure to issue a common statement underscores the challenges Pacific leaders face in balancing national interests while navigating intensifying competition between China and Western powers in the region. (with inputs from Reuters)