Pacific leaders urge China to give 24-hour notice before missile tests

Pacific Islands Forum leaders expressed concern over China's July intercontinental ballistic missile test but stopped short of condemning it, urging transparency and advance notification of at least 24 hours for future tests. Nauru was the sole dissenter among the 18 members. The communique, read by Palau's President Surangel Whipps Junior, referenced the Fiji-led Ocean of Peace declaration but did not name China. Whipps rejected Beijing's claim of sensationalism, stating the Pacific wasn't informed or was informed late, and emphasized the need for transparency. The test, which flew over the Philippines, Palau, and Micronesia, was the second since 1980. The forum also reclassified external powers into strategic and sector partners, with China among 13 strategic partners, while a region-wide security pact failed to progress.