Senior Pacific diplomats met in Suva amid calls led by New Zealand and Tuvalu for a joint condemnation of China's recent nuclear-capable ICBM test. The missile reportedly splashed down in waters between the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu, and Tuvalu says it received no prior warning and sought help to recover a dummy warhead. While Australia and several Forum members voiced concern, Kiribati, Nauru and Vanuatu resisted formal criticism, raising the prospect of a watered-down communique ahead of a leaders' summit in Palau in September.
China Missile Test Dominates Pacific Diplomacy As Ministers Meet In Fiji
Foreign ministers and top diplomats of the Pacific Islands countries attend a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Suva, Fiji, on August 7, 2026, ahead of the full leaders meeting scheduled for September 2026 in Palau (Ben STRANG)
Senior Pacific diplomats met in Suva, Fiji, with China's recent test-firing of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile at the top of the agenda. New Zealand and Tuvalu pushed for a joint Pacific condemnation, but divisions among Forum members risked producing a toned-down response.
Beijing gave only a small number of governments short notice before last month's test, a demonstration of military capability as China expands its regional influence. Observers reported the rocket appeared to splash down in ocean waters between the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu. Tuvalu said it received no prior warning and sought assistance from several partners, including the United States and China, to locate a dummy warhead.
New Zealand's outspoken foreign minister, Winston Peters, urged an open dialogue and pushed for a clear joint statement, warning there is a tendency for 'outsiders to meddle' in Pacific affairs. Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, said she hoped China had noticed the 'very clear response' already expressed by many Pacific nations.
However, countries seen as more China-friendly—particularly Kiribati, Nauru and Vanuatu—were understood to be reluctant to formally criticise a major partner, making a firm collective statement unlikely. Diplomats signalled a potential compromise: a communique stressing the importance of regional security without explicitly naming the test or China.
The foreign ministers' meeting precedes a leaders' summit scheduled for Palau in September. Delegates also planned to debate which outside partners should be invited to that summit, a sensitive issue after last year's dispute in Honiara when the Solomon Islands barred external partners amid pressure over Taiwan's participation.
Why it matters: The episode highlights growing tensions in the Pacific as regional states balance security concerns with economic and diplomatic ties to China. The outcome of the Fiji talks will shape how the Pacific Islands Forum presents a unified — or divided — regional response ahead of the leaders' meeting in Palau.
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