Pacific civil society rejects all missile testing
Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Baron Waqa said Pacific leaders opposed any form of missile testing in the Pacific.
Wednesday 02 September 2026 | 11:00
China conducts public test of nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, with dummy warhead hitting designated target in the Pacific Ocean during a routine military exercise.
Photo: China Daily
Pacific Civil Society Groups have condemned the use of the Pacific Ocean as missile testing grounds by China and the United States.
Coordinator of the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) Joey Tau said Pacific leaders were silent on these issues, including Japan’s disposal of the Fukushima waste into the Pacific Ocean.
Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Baron Waqa said Pacific leaders opposed any form of missile testing in the Pacific.
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His comments come as leaders gather this week in Palau to discuss issues and challenges affecting the region.
This week’s meeting will also see the presence of the region’s dialogue and development partners, including United States, Taiwan and China.
Mr Waqa’s comments follow an extensive debate at the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (FFMM) in Suva earlier last month on China’s July missile test in the Pacific, where no consensus was reached and no statement issued by the forum.
China had launched a ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean just hours after Fiji and Australia signed a new defence treaty committing to assist each other in the event of an armed attack on either country in the Pacific.
During the FFMM, Kiribati and the Republic of Nauru opposed a regional statement on the missile test, while Fiji backed New Zealand for a united regional position as geopolitics tensions in the region continue to rise.
The forum has continuously stressed regional unity and consensus, even as its members maintain different diplomatic relationships and positions on security and international affairs.
“Anything to do with missile testing in our region is of concern to our leaders. How we approach this and where we place ourselves in making a statement all depends on sovereign positions,” Mr Waqa said.
“We all want to make a strong statement to everyone, not just China. But this meeting is for leaders, and they will determine that their conversation will bring something that everyone I bring, something out that everyone is comfortable with.”
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