Kiribati, also known as Kiribati, a Pacific island nation, has criticized China for its intercontinental ballistic missile test in September. The President of Kiribati stated that the Pacific Ocean is part of the “Blue Pacific Continent” and deemed the actions of the Chinese authorities as unwelcome.
Situated south of Hawaii, Kiribati has a vast exclusive economic zone spanning 3.6 million square kilometers (about 1.4 million square miles).
Originally a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, Kiribati severed ties with Taipei in 2019 and established diplomatic relations with Beijing. In recent years, China’s influence in Kiribati has been on the rise, causing concerns among Western countries. Therefore, Kiribati’s rare outspoken criticism of China’s missile test has drawn significant attention.
On September 25, China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile with a simulated warhead into the Pacific, claiming it was for weapon testing and training purposes. However, many Pacific countries, including Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand, expressed concerns over this action.
The Kiribati President’s office released a statement on Facebook stating that they had not received any prior notification from China before the missile test.
The statement mentioned that the Chinese embassy informed Kiribati that there was no need to issue a warning because the test was not directed at any country in the Pacific region.
“Kiribati does not welcome China’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test,” the statement read. “The Pacific Ocean is not an isolated sea; it is part of our Blue Pacific Continent and Kiribati. Therefore, we urge all countries conducting weapon tests to cease such actions and uphold world peace and stability.”
The 18 member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum, despite their small land areas and populations, possess extensive shared maritime zones which they refer to as the “Blue Pacific Continent,” and decades ago declared the region as a nuclear-free zone.
As the competition between the US and China intensifies, the geographical positions of the Pacific island nations have become increasingly crucial and strategically valuable. Following China’s signing of a security treaty with the Solomon Islands in 2022, the power struggle between the US and China in the region has escalated.
Kiribati is set to hold a presidential election this month, with all four candidates being from the Care Party led by the incumbent President Taneti Maamau.