TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Pacific Island nations expressed concerns Thursday at the Pacific Islands Forum over a Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile test conducted in July.
Summit host and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. said the Chinese ICBM test passed over several island nations without adequate warning, per Reuters. He noted that leaders called for greater transparency and reassurance over such tests, including at least 24-hour prior notification.
Whipps also pointed out that the Republic of Naoero had dissented from the joint statement. Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen commented on Naoero's dissent, suggesting that unanimity was not necessary to express the strong views shared by the forum's attendees.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) accused China of disrupting the Pacific region through “wolf warrior diplomacy,” per Liberty Times. He said the Pacific Islands Forum had passed a resolution to “condemn” China for disrupting the peace and unity of Pacific island nations.
The ICBM test, the first such launch since September 2024, was conducted shortly after Fiji and Australia signed a major defense treaty, per Reuters. Whipps, whose country is one of three Pacific island nations with official ties to Taiwan, sought to lobby the forum to formally condemn the test, saying that Pacific islanders do not want their homes and backyards threatened.
In response, China stressed that the test was conducted safely and that the country had never engaged in military expansion. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun described Palau's lobbying effort as “malicious manipulation,” stressing China's intention to work toward peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
Kiribati President Taneti Maamau, whose country refused to back a previous Pacific Islands Forum joint statement against China's missile test, told the Kiribati Parliament in August that it would be unfair to single out China for conducting missile tests when the US also conducts such tests, per Australian Broadcasting Corp. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese disagreed with the assessment, arguing that the US gave notice and has treaties with the Marshall Islands.
The Republic of Naoero first broke off its official ties with Taiwan in July 2002 before re-establishing them in 2005, per China Times. Naoero broke off ties again in 2024, reportedly after Taiwan refused to provide NT$2.6 billion (US$82 million) in aid, per Storm Media.
