Foreign ministers and senior officials from Pacific Islands Forum countries failed to reach agreement on August 6, 2026, on a joint statement responding to China's recent ballistic missile test in the Pacific Ocean. Representatives from 18 countries discussed the issue during a regional meeting in Suva, Fiji.
Several governments expressed concern about the missile launch, but members disagreed over how a regional statement should be written. Some favored language addressing China's specific test, while others supported a broader statement opposing missile testing in the Pacific regardless of which country conducts it.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said two participating countries did not support the proposed statement. An official familiar with the discussions identified the countries as Kiribati and Nauru, although Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa said neither government had formally blocked an agreement and described the disagreement as differing national positions.
The debate followed a Chinese ballistic missile test conducted in July from a nuclear-powered submarine into international waters of the Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and other governments had raised concerns about the launch and its implications for regional security.
Pacific ministers agreed that additional negotiations were needed. The issue was expected to return for consideration when Pacific Islands Forum leaders meet in Palau later in August, placing missile testing and strategic competition among the issues facing regional governments.
