Arabic version: أستراليا وبالاو تسعيان إلى إدانة دول المحيط الهادئ لاختبار صاروخي صيني
According to ABC News, Australia and Palau will press Pacific Islands Forum leaders to clearly condemn China’s recent ballistic missile test when they meet in Palau. The forum’s annual leaders’ retreat is being held at a residence owned by the family of Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr.
A submarine from the People’s Liberation Army Navy in the South China Sea fired a missile with a dummy warhead more than 7,000 kilometres into the Pacific in July. It landed just outside Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Pacific nations issued strong criticism after the test, but Kiribati and Naoero did not support a joint statement at the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting last month.
Kiribati President Taneti Maamau said his country had raised concerns with Beijing, while arguing it would be unfair to criticise China when the United States also conducted missile tests into waters of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected that comparison, saying the United States gives proper notice and has an agreement with the Marshall Islands.
Mr Albanese said China provided very little notice of the test, which was fired from a submarine and landed in the Pacific near Naoero and Tuvalu. Mr Whipps said the Pacific should present a united front, arguing that the US-Marshall Islands arrangement did not address the interests of other Pacific nations. He questioned why the missile was fired deep into the South Pacific rather than elsewhere.
Negotiations over the issue remain uncertain, with Australia increasingly pessimistic that leaders will reach consensus on a strong statement. In their communique last month, Pacific ministers called for “transparency and reassurance” on nuclear testing and noted concerns raised by several countries about China’s test. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused Palau of seeking to “sensationalise” the test and said China was willing to work with South Pacific countries on peace, stability, development and prosperity.
