Pacific Islands Forum fails to reach consensus on anti-missile statement against China
Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers failed to agree on a unified statement against China after it fired a nuclear-capable missile into Pacific waters.
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) convened in Suva, but failed to reach a consensus on a joint statement criticizing China's recent nuclear-capable missile test in Pacific waters. Despite concerns among most countries regarding Beijing's actions, Kiribati and Nauru opposed a strong statement condemning the testing, hindering the Forum's usual decision-making process by consensus.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters expressed concern that some Pacific nations prioritized external partners' wishes over their own, describing this stance as "unusual". He emphasized that the statement should have explicitly condemned missile testing, but the absence of such a statement remains. While acknowledging that China is not the only country testing nuclear-capable missiles in the Pacific, Peters argued that the US conducts testing in the Marshall Islands with the country's consent.
The PIF Foreign Ministers Meeting aimed to establish the agenda for the upcoming annual Leaders' Meeting in Palau. A proposal for a regional security treaty by Solomon Islands was discussed, but more consultation is required. PIF Permanent Secretary George Hoa'au RNZ Pacific pointed out that regional security mechanisms already exist within the Forum, suggesting the need for a unified approach.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Pacific's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
