Pacific leaders issue joint rebuke over China missile test
Pacific Island nations condemned a Chinese missile test into their midst in a joint statement agreed Thursday, despite pressure from Beijing on Palau, the host of a regional leaders’ meeting. The Pacific Islands Forum summit communique, read by Palau’s President Surangel Whipps to a late-night news conference, calls for at least 24 hours’ notice of […]
Seventeen of 18 Pacific Island nations issued a joint statement condemning a recent Chinese missile test, despite pressure from Beijing on host Palau. The statement, agreed upon at the Pacific Islands Forum summit, demands at least 24 hours' notice for intercontinental ballistic missile testing, citing China's lack of transparency.
Palau's President Surangel Whipps read the communiqué at a late-night news conference. The Pacific nations, who hold memories of nuclear testing by the US, Britain, and France, have declared their waters a nuclear-free zone. China claimed the test was part of annual military training and that relevant countries were informed in advance.
However, the Pacific nations remain unconvinced and accused Palau of "hijacking" responses from other forum members. The friction overshadowed discussions on pressing issues like climate change and transnational crime. Australia pledged AU$600 million (US$432 million) for satellite and drone surveillance to combat drug trafficking, while Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape raised concerns about new US visa bond charges for Pacific citizens.
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