China missile test deepens Pacific divide over growing militarisation

Synopsis China’s July ballistic-missile test has exposed divisions among Pacific island nations over growing militarisation and competing U.S.-China influence. Despite concerns voiced by several leaders, Pacific foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint condemnation, underscoring tensions between the region’s “Ocean of Peace” ambitions and the security benefits offered by external powers. China’s test of a nuclear-capable missile ?last month has exposed the limits of Pacific leaders’ ambition to make the region an “Ocean of Peace”, free from the crossfire of ?major-power rivalry. The July launch, China’s first known ballistic-missile test into the Pacific since September 2024, was fired into…