PACIFIC foreign ministers have agreed that the region should issue a political statement on China’s recent ballistic missile test, but officials continue to negotiate its wording.
The issue emerged during the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting in Suva, where ministers were asked how the region could reconcile its commitment to an “Ocean of Peace” with the recent missile test by a major development partner.
The clarification comes after ABC News reported that sources from multiple PIF nations said Kiribati and Naoero had continued to block consensus on the statement during the meeting in Suva, despite broad support for it.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, speaking after the meeting, said two unnamed countries had effectively blocked the joint statement.
“They were seeking to use the need for consensus as a veto provision,” he said, according to ABC News.
“We made it clear that wasn’t the Pacific way.”
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa, however, rejected suggestions that individual members had blocked a collective response, saying Kiribati and Naoero had not prevented the Forum from issuing a statement.
“The statement that was discussed in the meeting has been on the table, and as you know, any statement that goes out from the Forum is a collective one with one voice,” Waqa said.
He said ministers had different views on how the statement should be framed, with some favouring a response to the specific missile test.
In contrast, others supported a broader statement covering ballistic missile and other testing in the Pacific.
“So, it’s not easy. But there’s no blocking. Kiribati did not block. Naoero did not block. They just honestly put in place their position so that others can consider and see how best they can all contribute,” Waqa said.
Deputy Secretary General Esala Nayasi reinforced that no member had blocked the proposed political statement, saying ministers had agreed to give officials more time to negotiate the text.
“The important point that has been made: all ministers have agreed that there needs to be a statement. No one is blocking that, but it is a matter of negotiation and agreement by members,” Nayasi said.
He said the missile-testing issue was among several matters still undergoing consultation before the Leaders Meeting in Palau.
“There are a number of issues that officials still need to look into, to negotiate,” Nayasi said, pointing also to the climate declaration and other documents that will be presented to leaders.
Chair of the meeting and Solomon Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Rick Houenipwela said ministers had also taken into account the different national positions of Forum members.
“All the countries have made their own national observations, and that’s recognised by the meeting,” Houenipwela said.
He stressed that the work remained ongoing, with officials instructed to conclude outstanding negotiations ahead of the Leaders Meeting.
The development comes as Pacific leaders prepare to meet in Palau for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, with regional unity and collective security expected to remain central to discussions.
The missile-testing debate highlights one of the Forum’s central challenges: maintaining a collective Pacific position while respecting the different diplomatic, security and economic interests of its members.
At the Suva meeting, ministers reaffirmed the Pacific Way of dialogue, consensus and collective ownership while advancing the Regional Peace and Security Action Plan 2026–2030, which strengthens regional coordination on security, transnational crime and humanitarian response.
The Forum is also preparing to advance its broader Ocean of Peace vision, which seeks to reinforce the Pacific’s aspiration for a region where peace, security and stability are protected.
With ministers agreeing in principle that a statement on the missile testing is needed, attention now turns to whether officials can bridge the remaining differences and produce wording all members can endorse before leaders meet in Palau.
