Kiribati, a Diplomatic Ally of China, Condemns Beijing’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Test

October 8, 2024 TruthUSA

According to the island nation’s Presidential Office, ‘Kiribati does not welcome China’s recent ICBM test.’

Kiribati, located in the central Pacific, has criticized China for its intercontinental missile test last month, stating that it does not welcome Beijing’s actions.

China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean on Sept. 25, drawing concerns from several countries including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Japan, and Taiwan.

The Kiribati President’s Office, in an Oct. 5 statement on Facebook, expressed that Kiribati had not been informed by China before the missile test.

“Kiribati does not welcome China’s recent ICBM test, including other countries that had tested similar weapons in the recent past,” the statement reads.

“The high seas in the Pacific are not isolated pockets of oceans, they are part of our Blue Pacific Continent and are parts of Kiribati and therefore we appeal to all countries involved in weapon testing to stop these acts to maintain world peace and stability.”

The Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc comprising 18 members like Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, declared their combined maritime zone, known as the Blue Pacific Continent, nuclear-free years ago under a signed treaty.

Kiribati, situated roughly 1,300 miles southwest of Hawaii, has a population of around 115,000 and possesses one of the largest exclusive economic zones globally, covering over 1.35 million square miles of the Pacific.

Having developed a close relationship with China’s communist regime in recent years, Kiribati severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing back in September 2019.

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