Pacific ministers to debate China missile statement amid divisions

Pacific Island foreign ministers are set to debate a joint statement regarding China's recent missile launch, a move championed by New Zealand but potentially stymied by internal divisions. Foreign Minister Winston Peters expressed hope that logic would prevail over "predetermined positions" during the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Minister's meeting in Suva.

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We'll see whether logic prevails in this debate, or whether the debate has already been settled by people having a predetermined position from which they will not move.

China's July missile test in the Pacific had alarmed regional powers, yet it initially failed to elicit a unified response from Pacific Island governments. This underscores the growing strategic competition in the region and the challenges island nations face in presenting a united front.

Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela, chairing the forum, emphasized that the Pacific's agenda must be self-determined. He noted that officials have consistently stressed the need for regional solidarity and strong consensus, rather than fragmentation, in response to increasingly complex strategic environments.

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The Pacific's agenda must continue to be 'conceived by the Pacific, shaped by the Pacific and only by the Pacific.'

Peters described the lack of a unified regional response to the missile test as a "missed opportunity," though he believes it is not too late for the forum to act. Ministers are also expected to discuss engagement with external partners, energy security, and institutional reforms.

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even as our strategic environment becomes more complex. The specific response should not be fragmentation or division. It should create regional solidarity, strong consensus, and continue confidence.