The Pacific Island nation of Kiribati has issued rare criticism of China over last month’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), saying the Pacific is not “isolated pockets of ocean” and it “does not welcome” Beijing’s action.
Kiribati, a Pacific Ocean neighbour of Hawaii with a vast exclusive economic zone of 3.6 million square kilometers has developed close ties to Beijing, including hosting Chinese police.
China conducted a rare launch of an ICBM with a dummy war head on Sept. 25 that landed in the Pacific Ocean, which Beijing said was for weapons testing and training, and nations including Fiji, Australia and New Zealand have said was concerning.
Photo: Reuters
Kiribati did not receive notice from China about the missile launch, the Kiribati President’s Office said in a statement on social media.
It was told by the Chinese embassy there was no need to alert Kiribati because the test was not meant to target any nation in the Pacific, the statement added.
“Kiribati does not welcome China’s recent ICBM test,” the statement said.
It also criticized other unnamed nations for past weapons tests.
“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,” it added.
The 18 members of the Pacific Islands Forum, while small in land size and population, have a vast combined maritime zone they refer to as the Blue Pacific Continent and decades ago declared the region a nuclear-free zone.
Strategic competition between China and the US in the region has risen after Beijing struck a security pact with the Solomon Islands in 2022.
China, seeking to redevelop a disused US World War II airfield in Kiribati, has become a major development partner to the atoll nation since it switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan in 2019.
Kiribati is to hold a direct vote for president this month, where all four candidates are from incumbent Kiribati President Taneti Maamau’s Tobwaan Kiribati Party.
Opposition leader Tessie Lambourne has criticized Maamau’s closeness to China, and the absence of any opposition candidates in the presidential election. Kiribati held parliamentary elections in August.
The president’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS