Solomon Islands PM Matthew Wale and Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese have both raised concerns over China’s missile testing in the Pacific. Photo: Anthony Albanese Facebook.
Australia has condemned a Chinese missile test in the Pacific as provocative and destabilising for the region, with a host of Federal Labor Ministers expressing their concern over the incident.
The Federal Opposition has also been quick to criticise China’s actions as unfriendly.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said the issue has been raised with the Chinese government.
“We have directly expressed at a government level our concern about this test,” Mr Marles said on Tuesday (7 July).
On Monday, China test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), armed with a dummy warhead, that travelled over the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of three Pacific island nations – the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and Kiribati.
The missile landed near the EEZs of Kiribati and Tuvalu and about 1000 kilometres north-east of the Solomon Islands just hours after Australia and Fiji signed a new defence agreement while Anthony Albanese was in Suva.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister was in Honiara to visit his Solomon Islands counterpart, Matthew Wale, to commemorate the island nation’s independence day.
The pair was asked about the missile test, and Mr Albanese confirmed the matter had been taken up with Beijing.
He said there should have been at least 48 hours’ notice, but instead it was a “provocative act by China, which does destabilise the region”.
Beijing gave only a few hours’ notice to Pacific countries about the test.
“We have made clear our concerns to China in both Beijing and Canberra, and I am making clear our concerns here as well in Honiara,” Mr Albanese said.
“We want to cooperate with China where we can, will disagree where we must and will engage in our national interest.
“This is one of those occasions where we must disagree with this action … [the world needs] less nuclear weapons, certainly not more”.
Mr Wade also criticised the test, saying it was “not something a friend does”, but he stressed that China was a “good friend” of the Solomon Islands.
“We don’t want anybody testing the ICBMs in the Pacific Islands region. That’s the bottom line,” he said.
“Be our friend, but don’t threaten us.”
The Solomon Islands PM said he had registered his country’s “strong protest” with China’s ambassador.
Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong was also highly critical of the test, but said China could explain its motives itself.
“I’ll simply indicate that Australia’s view is that this test is destabilising for the region and raises the risk of miscalculation,” she said.
“We do not believe this test is consistent with the view that Pacific leaders have very clearly expressed that the Pacific should be an ocean of peace.”
The agreement signed between Australia and Fiji on Monday is actually called the Ocean of Peace Alliance.
Defence Industry Minister and Minister for the Pacific Pat Conroy said the Chinese missile test should not deter other Pacific island nations from joining the defence alliance.
“This is something that can destabilise the region but doesn’t take away our efforts to implement what the Pacific leaders have called for, which is Pacific security that comes from within the Pacific,” he said.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor described China’s action as “unwelcome provocation” and “intimidation”.
“These are not the acts of a friend,” Mr Taylor said.
“The truth of the matter is the best pathway to peace is strength, and that is why we need to see an increase in defence spending in this country.”
The opposition leader says the federal government must register its concerns with Beijing over the missile test at the highest levels.
The Opposition Leader welcomed the Ocean of Peace Alliance.
Shadow defence minister James Paterson said the missile testing was “cause for concern” in two respects.
“One, it is an indication of China’s increasing capability in this area,” Senator Paterson said.
“This is a sophisticated missile, and they have a large and growing number of stocks of these, and they’re capable of firing them from submarines.
“Secondly, I think it’s an indication of China’s intent. You don’t practise firing a ballistic missile in the Pacific unless you think that at some point in the future you might need to do so for real in conflict.
“And certainly it’s intended to send a very strong signal to us and other powers in the Pacific, including the Pacific island nations, that China is capable of this kind of display if it chooses.”
Beijing says its test was a routine exercise that complied with international law.
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
