Australia has expressed its unease to China regarding its recent nuclear-capable missile test conducted in the South Pacific, highlighting that many nations within the region share these concerns.
On Tuesday evening, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong engaged in talks with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during the ASEAN meetings held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
“You emphasize the importance of mutual understanding. I concur, and I anticipate we will deliberate on our concerns, particularly regarding regional peace and stability, the necessity for safe and professional military operations, and the critical nature of transparency and clear intentions,” Wong stated in her introductory comments.
Wong pointed out the “strong concerns” voiced by several Pacific Island nations regarding the submarine-launched missile tested earlier in July.
The conversation between the two foreign ministers also emphasized the critical importance of maintaining peace and stability within the Indo-Pacific region.
“You’ve often heard me say that we will cooperate where we can and disagree where we must, and we want to continue to engage because we believe that is in our national interest,” Wong said.
Australia was only given a few hours’ notice by China of the test, which was launched within hours of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signing a new defence alliance with Fiji.
The missile is understood to have landed near Tuvalu.
Albanese slammed the launch as a “provocative act” while other Pacific nations including New Zealand, Tuvalu and Fiji condemned the incident.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale was standing beside his Australian counterpart in his country’s capital Honiara in early July when he said the test was “not the act of a friend”.
Albanese has previously flagged a strong statement would be issued by the Pacific Islands Forum, but the group’s disagreement on the wording of the text has resulted in a delay.
A foreign ministers’ meeting of the forum will be held in August, where the issue is likely to be discussed.