16 Pacific States Rebuke China Over ICBM Test — SkimNews
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- Sixteen of eighteen Pacific Islands Forum members signed a joint statement expressing 'concern on the recent intercontinental ballistic missile test which overflew a number of members without adequate notice'; only Nauru and Kiribati — both close to Beijing — declined.
- China's July 6 ICBM test launched from a nuclear-powered submarine in the South China Sea traveled more than 4,300 miles to land in international waters in the South Pacific, with foreign nations given less than 24 hours' notice — falling short of accepted international procedures.
- Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. declared at the summit that 'a unified Pacific voice is critical in getting Beijing to respect sovereignty, to respect transparency and to be a responsible partner,' while PM Anthony Albanese of Australia backed him: 'The Pacific Islands Forum determines what happens here, not any other country.'
- Chinese Special Envoy Qian Bo warned that 'there will always be consequences' when Taiwan receives favorable treatment, after Taiwan's representatives were invited to the Palau-hosted summit — Palau is one of only three Pacific states still recognizing Taipei.
- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced a $150 million-plus economic assistance package for the Pacific Islands at the summit covering energy security, infrastructure, digital development, law enforcement, and scientific cooperation.
- China's defense spending grew 13-fold in 30 years — from $25.1 billion in 1995 to an estimated $247 billion in 2025 — while its nuclear warhead stockpile doubled in the past six years, according to CSIS analysis.
- Recent setbacks for Beijing in the region include the Australia-Fiji 'Ocean of Peace Alliance' mutual defense treaty signed the same day as the missile test, the Australia-Vanuatu Nakamal Agreement banning foreign military bases, and Solomon Islands PM Matthew Wale's proposal for a Pacific-led security treaty excluding China.
Why it matters: Sixteen Pacific states speaking with one voice — rather than splitting bilaterally — gives the region leverage Beijing cannot dismiss as one ally's maneuvering, and the $150 million U.S. package signals Washington is reinvesting in Pacific partnerships precisely as China's military modernization closes the capability gap with a 13-fold defense spending increase since 1995.
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