Australia says China’s recent ballistic missile test over the Pacific was “destabilising”, citing strong condemnation from Pacific leaders alongside Australia’s response.
Speaking in an interview on Sky News, Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Senator Nita Green, said the Australian Government responded immediately after the missile test.
“We obviously made some strong statements from the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, my minister, Pat Conroy, as soon as this missile test occurred, to make it very clear that the Australian government was disappointed with the decision to test this missile in this direction.
“And we also wanted to express how destabilising this is for the Pacific region,” she said ”
Senator Green said Pacific leaders also made their views clear following the launch.
“But you also saw, in response, not just commentary from our government and our Prime Minister, but very strong statements from Pacific leaders, and our Prime Minister just happened to be in Fiji and with the Solomon Islands Prime Minister at the same time as the media was seeking response to this,” she said.
“And actually their statements, I think, were very strong and indicative of what Pacific countries thought about this decision by the Chinese,” she said.
Asked about United States engagement in the Pacific following recent agreements with Fiji and Papua New Guinea, Green said Australia would not discuss diplomatic conversations with other countries but said the United States remained engaged in the region.
“Firstly, we don’t necessarily go into diplomatic conversations we have with other countries, that’s not how we operate diplomatically, but what I can tell you is that the U.S are engaged in our region,” she said.
Green said she visited Honolulu earlier this year and met United States officials and Pacific leaders.
“I visited Honolulu and met with officials from the U.S government and Pacific leaders earlier in the year. And that was an opportunity to really highlight to the U.S the work that is being undertaken by our government in the region, but also how the U.S can assist.”
She said the United States has close relationships with countries in the North Pacific, while Australia engages in the Pacific based on its own national interests.
“They have close relationships with, particularly northern Pacific countries, and so they undertake those relationships, you know, to the best of their national interests.
“We engage in the Pacific in our national interests, but often I think that those interests are aligned and that’s how we work together in the region,” Senator Green said.
