Pacific leaders criticise China over recent ICBM test amid forum split

Pacific Islands Forum leaders have criticised China over a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, after weeks of internal disagreement over how strongly to respond. The issue was raised at the region's most significant annual diplomatic meeting, where leaders sought a common position on security concerns in the Pacific. The final wording said leaders registered concern about the test and called for transparency and reassurance from states carrying out such launches.

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Palau's President Surangel Samuel Whipps Jr, who chairs the forum, had pressed leaders to agree a joint statement during a retreat at his private residence in the north of Palau. After the closing ceremony in Koror, he said consensus had been reached in the final communique. He read out language saying the missile test had overflown a number of members without adequate notice, and that states conducting ICBM tests should provide advance notification of at least 24 hours in line with international practice.

The statement was stronger than the one issued by Pacific foreign ministers last month, which also called for transparency and reassurance over the test. But the final position was not unanimous. Nauru and Kiribati did not endorse the criticism of China set out in the communique, and there were clear signs that the forum's agreement remained limited even after the leaders' meeting.

Australia and Palau had wanted a formal condemnation of the missile test, but not all countries in the region agreed. The dispute matters because the Pacific Islands Forum has become an important venue for regional security diplomacy at a time of growing strategic competition in the Pacific. China's military activity has drawn closer scrutiny from Pacific governments, many of which are balancing economic ties, security concerns and differing views among member states.

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A joint statement on an ICBM test also carries symbolic weight because it signals how far Pacific leaders are prepared to speak collectively on issues involving major powers. The forum's response also reflects the difficulty of maintaining unity across a group of states with different foreign policy priorities and levels of exposure to outside influence. Palau has been among the more outspoken critics of China in the region, while other members have been more cautious about direct confrontation.

The fact that the leaders' language was agreed only after internal wrangling suggests that future statements on security issues may continue to be negotiated carefully. What remains unclear is how far the final communique will be seen as a durable regional position, given that not all members backed the criticism. It is also not clear whether the call for advance notification will lead to any practical change in how states conduct missile tests in the Pacific.

The next point to watch is whether the forum's divisions deepen or whether members can maintain a common line on regional security concerns.

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