Forum Chair and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has lodged a strong protest over China’s ballistic missile test in the Pacific, saying it was “not something a friend does” and warning that no country should conduct intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests in the region.
The nuclear-capable missile that China test-fired from a submarine Monday flew over multiple Pacific nations and appears to have hit waters close to Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Responding to questions from reporters in Honiara, PM Wale said he had formally raised Solomon Islands’ concerns with China.
“China’s a good friend of Solomon Islands, but this is not something a friend does.
“This is not good in our region and as Chair of Pacific Islands Forum I’ve expressed my strong, registered my strong protest with the Ambassador.
“Solomon Islands also lodged a protest note. But we don’t want to see any more countries, China, America, anybody, we don’t want anybody testing the ICBMs in the Pacific Islands region.
“That’s the bottom line. Be our friend, but don’t threaten us,” he told reporters in Honiara.
Asked whether the missile test had acted as a deterrent, Wale said it highlighted the need for a stronger regional platform.
“Well, in many ways the missile test is further evidence for the need for regional platform so that the region can speak as one.
“It will allow some countries, not all the countries in the Pacific are not all on the same level of strength and may not want to speak up when things like this happen.
“But a regional platform will allow cover and allow for much greater sharing of intelligence and information so we can be advocating better for Pacific wide issues,” he stressed.
Speaking in Honiara alongside Wale, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also criticised the missile test, describing it as a provocative and destabilising act.
He confirmed Australia had raised its concerns directly with China.
“We have made clear our concerns to China in both Beijing and in Canberra and I’m making our concerns clear here as well in Honiara.
“We don’t want to see any action that is destabilising or which undermines the peace, security and stability of the Pacific and the region. And there is no doubt that this is a provocative act by China which does destabilise the region. And therefore, we will put forward our strong view.
“We have said consistently that we want to cooperate with China where we can, we’ll disagree where we must and we’ll engage in our national interests.
“This is one of those occasions where we must disagree with this action. And in particular we point out that it is standard procedure for tests such as this for there to be given 48 hours notice. This was not done on this occasion,” PM Albanese said.
Albanese said Australia’s concerns extended beyond the lack of advance notice to the type of weapon that was tested.
“Part of our concern here isn’t just the lack of notice that occurred. It is the fact that this was a test of a nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile fired from a nuclear-powered submarine.
“That is of real concern because what we need is less nuclear weapons, certainly not more. And the fact that this test took place with very little notice is of real concern. And so we join that as part of the concerns that we will express is the nature of the weapon that was tested that has a capacity clearly to reach at long range and to cause considerable, considerable damage were it to be weaponised.
“So, we’ll continue to advocate strongly but advocate as well, consistent with our view when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons is very clear and has been consistent and has indeed been a bipartisan approach for Australia for a long period of time,” PM Albanese said.
