The Blue Pacific nation of Kiribati criticized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in late September 2024, saying the Pacific is not “isolated pockets of ocean” and that it “does not welcome” Beijing’s action.
Kiribati, which has a maritime exclusive economic zone of 3.6 million square kilometers, has ties to Beijing, including hosting Chinese police.
The ICBM, which had a dummy warhead, landed in the Pacific in what Beijing said was weapons testing and training. Nations including Australia, Fiji and New Zealand also said the launch was concerning.
Kiribati was not notified in advance of the missile launch, the president’s office posted on social media. The Chinese embassy claimed that notification wasn’t necessary because the test did not target any country, the post stated.
“Kiribati does not welcome China’s recent ICBM test,” the statement said. “The high seas in the Pacific are not isolated pockets of oceans, they are part of our Blue Pacific Continent and are parts of Kiribati and therefore we appeal to all countries involved in weapon testing to stop these acts to maintain world peace and stability.”
The Pacific Islands Forum’s 18 members have a vast combined maritime zone they call the Blue Pacific Continent and decades ago declared the region a nuclear-free zone.
The PRC is attempting to increase its influence in the region, including signing a security pact with the Solomon Islands in 2022.
Beijing, which is seeking to redevelop a disused World War II airfield in Kiribati, has become a major development partner to the atoll nation since Kiribati switched diplomatic ties from self-governed Taiwan to the PRC in 2019.
