Australia and New Zealand are demanding an explanation from China for Wednesday's unusual test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Both island states said they would consult with other members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) before the United Nations General Assembly concludes on Friday.
PIF is an 18-member organization. Contains In addition to Australia and New Zealand, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Samoa.
China launched In an unprecedented show of military power, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched into the Pacific Ocean for the first time since 1980. Chinese officials blandly claimed that the test firing was a “routine arrangement in our annual training program,” even though it clearly was not.
The Chinese government was cautious about the tested missile's hardware and its intended flight path, but the Associated Press reported Thursday that spotted A map published in a Chinese newspaper showed the missile flying in a straight line from China's Hainan Island to “the center of the ring formed by the Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Western Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu.” shown.
The ICBM may have passed within 100 kilometers of the northern Philippines and over Guam on its way to splashdown.
A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that the New Zealand government was seeking further details about the “unwanted and concerning incident”.
“Pacific leaders have clearly expressed their expectation that we have a peaceful, stable, prosperous and secure region. As a member of the region, New Zealand strongly supports that expectation. '' said the spokesperson.
The Australian government said it had “asked China for an explanation” about the missile test.
“The launches come against the backdrop of China's rapid military buildup, which is occurring without the transparency and reassurance the region demands from a major power,” Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
The Biden administration seemed less perturbed by China's bizarre missile tests than Australia and New Zealand. Pentagon on Thursday was praised China distributed a warning message before the launch.
“We received advance notice of this intercontinental ballistic missile test, which we believe was a good thing. This is a step in the right direction and will help prevent any misunderstandings or miscalculations,” the Pentagon said. said spokeswoman Sabrina Singh.
Singh praised China's launch warning as a “common sense confidence-building measure” that the United States would like to see more of.
The Pentagon's effusive praise of China's transparency may be because the Chinese military is so recent. restored Bilateral communications with US end China-imposed blackout amid former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's tantrum visited Taiwan In August 2022.
China took very unusual measures publication Photos of Thursday's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch were made available by People's Liberation Army (PLA) media service China Junhao.
The photos revealed that the missile is a DF-31AG, a weapon that can reach the U.S. mainland from nearly all known launch sites in China.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said On Wednesday, Russia announced that it fully supports China's “sovereign right” to test and upgrade its missiles. Peskov noted that while China has no formal treaty obligation to share information about missile tests with the United States in advance, it does have such a treaty with Russia, and in this case “the necessary exchange of information” took place. .
