Pacific Islands Forum leaders criticize China's missile test in South Pacific

Pacific Islands Forum leaders issued a joint statement expressing concern over recent missile tests, effectively criticizing China's July launch that landed in the South Pacific. The statement was adopted Thursday by member states and territories at the forum. It marks a rare collective rebuke of China's military activity in the region, where Beijing has been expanding its diplomatic and economic influence. The forum's criticism comes amid growing great-power competition in the Pacific, with China and the United States vying for influence among island nations.