Pacific nations join US in criticizing China's missile test warning

The United States and four Pacific Island nations have criticized China for its recent nuclear-capable missile test in the South Pacific. A joint statement released by the US government on August 11th alleged that China provided less than 24 hours notice before launching a dummy warhead in early July.

The statement, which included signatures from New Zealand, Australia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, asserted that "recent missile testing in the Pacific area" did not meet standard practices for avoiding the appearance of an attack and preventing miscalculation. "Conducting nuclear-capable ballistic missile tests without sufficient advance notice and detail is dangerous and disrupts the peace and security of relevant nations in proximity to these tests," the statement read.

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Conducting nuclear-capable ballistic missile tests without sufficient advance notice and detail is dangerous and disrupts the peace and security of relevant nations in proximity to these tests.

This criticism follows a Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers meeting where a joint statement condemning the test could not be reached. While Beijing insists it followed international law, New Zealand stated the test occurred "within hours" of China's warning. A US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency issued a safety warning about 31 hours before the missile's landing, but analysts note such warnings differ from specific notice of a ballistic missile test.

Analysts suggest that the limited notice provided by China will likely lead to increased monitoring of Chinese vessels, particularly satellite tracking ships, in the Pacific. The incident highlights ongoing tensions and concerns over China's military activities in the region and the transparency surrounding them.

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These actions... will likely result in the closer monitoring of Chinese vessels, and particularly satellite tracking vessels, in the Pacific.