At the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers Meeting held on Friday, August 7th, 2026, Naoero (formerly Nauru) and Kiribati blocked a regional statement that would have criticised China’s recent ballistic missile test. Both countries, which have developed close ties with Beijing in recent years, prevented consensus despite broad support for the statement among other Pacific nations.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters expressed frustration after the meeting, noting that "two countries"—which he did not name—had effectively blocked the joint statement. He said these countries were "seeking to use the need for consensus as a veto provision" and were "responding to [an] outside partner's wishes," implicitly referring to China. Peters emphasised that "we made it very clear that we didn't think outsiders should be telling insiders — that's us, we've been here for thousands of years — what our position should be."

An official from one PIF nation privately described Kiribati's position in even more critical terms. Meanwhile, a spokesperson highlighted that "the majority of Pacific leaders have spoken loudly and clearly about their concerns regarding China's ballistic missile test, including the importance of respect for sovereignty, transparency and notification."

The final communique from the PIF Foreign Ministers Meeting is expected to remain silent on the missile test issue. However, all PIF members have agreed to continue discussions in hopes of reaching an agreement before the PIF Leaders' Meeting scheduled in Palau in early September.

Sources