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🇸🇬 Singapore /Conflict & Security

Pacific Islands reject missile test in ‘blue continent’

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Pacific Island nations criticized China's July 6 submarine-launched ballistic missile test for landing in their shared ocean territory.
  • Despite China's claim the test was not directed at any country and broke no international law, leaders stated the missile landed between their exclusive economic zones.
  • The incident has heightened regional concerns over maritime security and China's growing influence, even among nations indebted to Beijing.

Pacific Island nations have strongly denounced China's recent ballistic missile test, asserting that the projectile landed within their "blue continent" – a term signifying their shared stewardship of the Pacific Ocean. The criticism comes from both politicians and analysts, highlighting a united front on the issue.

We have missiles going right into the heart of the Pacific, unannounced.

— Surangel WhippsPalau President Surangel Whipps stated the missile landed "right between our EEZs" and "unannounced."

Palau's President Surangel Whipps, who is set to host an upcoming Pacific leaders' meeting, expressed dismay that the missile landed "right between our EEZs" and "unannounced." This sentiment was echoed by other Pacific countries, including those that have received significant infrastructure funding from China. The missile, a nuclear-capable type fitted with a dummy warhead, reportedly landed in a corridor of international waters between the exclusive economic zones of Nauru, Tuvalu, and the Solomon Islands.

What happens in any part of this ocean vibrates through all of us.

— Ruth Cross KwansingRuth Cross Kwansing, a government minister in Kiribati, explained the significance of the "Blue Pacific continent" concept.

China maintains the test was not aimed at any specific nation and complied with international law. However, the incident has ignited regional debate about maritime security and the definition of shared ocean space. The Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc of 18 members, views itself as a custodian of a vast ocean territory, emphasizing joint management of fisheries and climate change efforts. The landing site, while in international waters, has been perceived as an intrusion into their perceived domain.

You have to shift your perspective from a map of dispersed and isolated islands to one where the ocean itself is the living fabric that binds us all together.

— Ruth Cross KwansingRuth Cross Kwansing described the conceptual understanding of the Pacific Ocean as a unifying force.

International maritime law experts note that while EEZs grant island states control over resources and patrols, they do not prohibit missile tests. Nevertheless, the "Blue Pacific continent" concept, representing a unified ocean identity, is driving the indignation. As one official stated, "What happens in any part of this ocean vibrates through all of us." This perspective underscores the interconnectedness of the region and its deep-seated identity tied to the ocean, which they see not as an empty void but as their "estate, our livelihood, and our identity."

Our seas are not an empty void or a buffer zone between global powers – they are our estate, our livelihood, and our identity as stewards of the sea.

— Ruth Cross KwansingRuth Cross Kwansing articulated the deep connection Pacific Islanders have with their ocean.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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