US and several Pacific countries hit out at Chinese nuclear missile test, after PIF misses chance
A number of Pacific Islands countries have joined the United States in effectively accusing China of skirting the rules after Beijing's recent nuclear-capable missile test in the Pacific.
Several Pacific nations, including New Zealand, Australia, the Marshall Islands and Palau, have joined the United States in criticizing China for conducting a nuclear-capable missile test in the South Pacific without providing sufficient notice. The joint statement, released on August 11th, stated that the missile test, which occurred near Tuvalu in early July, violated standard practices for missile testing and endangered regional peace and security.
China maintains that it followed international law and provided only hours of warning. A PIF Foreign Ministers meeting in Suva failed to produce a consensus statement condemning the test, with Nauru and Kiribati opposing a formal condemnation of China. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters accused Nauru and Kiribati of gaming the system to support an external partner.
China's embassy in New Zealand responded by accusing New Zealand of humiliating itself and attempting to become the region's regional decision maker.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Pacific's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
