Pacific nations fail to agree on statement condemning China missile test
Beijing gave only a handful of nations short notice before test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile last month, with the rocket appearing to land in a patch of ocean somewhere between Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu.
On August 7, Pacific diplomats convened in Fiji to discuss a joint statement condemning China's recent missile test. However, the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum failed to reach an agreement. New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters accused Pacific members Kiribati and Nauru of appeasing outsiders, rather than the Pacific Islands Forum.
China had given only a few nations advance notice before testing the missile, which landed somewhere between Solomon Islands, Nauru, and Tuvalu. Tuvalu, a Taiwan ally, requested help in locating the dummy warhead. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed hope that China would heed the Pacific's response, which was largely concerned about China's ballistic missile test. However, the group did not issue a formal statement as of the meeting in Fiji's capital Suva.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Pacific nations fail to agree on statement condemning China missile test channelnewsasia.com
