China’s test of a nuclear-capable missile last month has deepened the divide in the Pacific over growing militarization. The July launch, China’s first known ballistic-missile test into the Pacific since September 2024, was fired into the Pacific just hours after Fiji and Australia signed a major defence treaty.

Pacific Leaders’ Response

Pacific Islands foreign ministers were unable to agree on a collective statement condemning Beijing’s missile test, despite individual leaders expressing alarm about militarization of the region. Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko called the test ‘totally inappropriate’, while Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said it was conducted ‘safely’.

The missile launch capped a year of increased military activity across the Pacific, which is fiercely contested between the U.S. and China for influence. The United States retains a substantial military presence across the region, including in Hawaii, Guam, and the Marshall Islands.

Regional Unity

Pacific leaders will meet in Palau in three weeks for the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting, where the missile test and regional unity are expected to return to the agenda. The regional declaration, known as the Ocean of Peace Declaration, aims to safeguard the region and contribute to international peace and security.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.