Pacific Island nations fail to agree on joint statement condemning China's missile test

Pacific Island foreign ministers meeting in Suva, Fiji, failed to agree on a joint statement condemning China's July 2026 nuclear-capable ballistic missile test, which landed near Tuvalu. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters revealed that two nations blocked the consensus, with officials identifying them as Kiribati and Nauru. The deadlock highlights deep regional divisions over China's growing influence, which Beijing has reinforced through infrastructure funding and a recent $1 million donation to the forum.

Pacific Islands Forum statement failure

• ▪Foreign ministers at the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Suva, Fiji, failed to reach a consensus on a joint statement condemning China's July 2026 ballistic missile test.
• ▪New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters stated that two member nations of the Pacific Islands Forum refused to sign the joint statement condemning China's missile test without providing clear reasons.
• ▪An official with knowledge of the discussions identified Nauru and Kiribati as the two Pacific Islands Forum members that blocked the joint statement condemning China's missile test.

China's Pacific missile test

• ▪China test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean in July 2026, landing near Tuvalu.
• ▪Tuvalu foreign affairs official Pasuna Tuaga stated that the Chinese missile test left residents fearing a tsunami and that Tuvalu has requested assistance from the US, France, and Australia to locate the dummy warhead.

Kiribati opposition to condemnation

• ▪Kiribati was reported by foreign media and regional officials as one of the two nations that refused to sign the Pacific Islands Forum statement condemning China's missile test.
• ▪Kiribati, which has close diplomatic ties with Beijing, is understood by regional diplomats to have had little interest in formally criticizing China over the July 2026 missile test.

Nauru opposition to condemnation

• ▪Kiribati was reported by foreign media and regional officials as one of the two nations that refused to sign the Pacific Islands Forum statement condemning China's missile test.
• ▪Nauru, a partner of Beijing, is understood by regional diplomats to have opposed formally criticizing China over the July 2026 missile test.

New Zealand diplomatic response

• ▪New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters criticized the failure to issue a joint statement, calling it a missed opportunity and accusing outside partners of influencing the decision.
• ▪International relations professor Robert Patman suggested that Winston Peters' recent parliamentary comments telling a Chinese-born MP to 'go back to your own country' could weaken New Zealand's credibility in the Pacific.

Chinese influence in Pacific region

• ▪China has expanded its influence in the Pacific region in recent years through infrastructure financing, diplomatic outreach, and security cooperation, raising concerns among traditional partners like Australia, New Zealand, and the US.
• ▪In June 2026, China gave the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat more than $1 million USD to reaffirm its commitment to regional development and cooperation.