Foreign Minister Penny Wong said China’s testing of a ballistic missile in the Pacific yesterday was destabilising for the region.
“I’ll leave it to China to speak to its intention, I’ll simply indicate that Australia’s view is this test is destabilising for the region and raises the risk of miscalculation,” Wong told the ABC’s Radio National.
“We do not believe this test is consistent with the view that Pacific leaders have very clearly expressed – that this, the Pacific, should be an ocean of peace.”
Asked whether Australia had aspirations to bring more Pacific nations into the Ocean of Peace agreement signed with Fiji yesterday, Wong said important discussions between leaders were under way about how best to ensure regional security.
“The fact is, we all know we live in a more contested world. We all know we live in a world where there’s greater competition. We all know we live in a world where there is greater risk of miscalculation,” she said.
“You’ve seen that played out in the various agreements Australia has entered into – the alliance with Papua New Guinea and the alliance with Fiji [yesterday], but also the agreements we have with Tuvalu and Nauru, and the Nakamal agreement [with Vanuatu], which was signed recently.”
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