Australia and the Solomon Islands have pledged to strengthen bilateral ties while condemning China's recent ballistic missile test in the Pacific, warning that the launch risks undermining regional stability.
Speaking in Honiara on Tuesday (7 July) after talks with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the launch as "a provocative act" that destabilises the region.
"There is no doubt that this is a provocative act by China, which does destabilise the region," Albanese said during a joint news conference.
Albanese said Beijing failed to provide the customary 48 hours' advance notice before the launch and expressed particular concern that the ballistic missile was fired from a nuclear-powered submarine.
China's state news agency Xinhua reported that a People's Liberation Army Navy submarine launched a missile carrying a dummy warhead into designated waters in the Pacific on Monday.
Beijing did not disclose the exact location where the missile landed.
The test prompted criticism from the U.S., Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan, while China's Foreign Ministry urged countries not to "over-interpret the matter".
Prime Minister Wale, whose government took office in May, said the Solomon Islands valued its relationship with China but opposed missile testing in the Pacific.
"China is a good friend of Solomon Islands but this is not something a friend does," Wale said.
"We don't want to see any more countries, China, America, anybody, testing intercontinental ballistic missiles in the Pacific Islands region. Be our friend, but don't threaten us."
The Solomon Islands has maintained close ties with Beijing since signing a security pact in 2022, a move that raised concerns in Canberra and Washington over China's growing strategic presence in the South Pacific.
Taiwan's National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu said the missile flew over the Philippines before landing between Tonga and Nauru, about 1,000 kilometres from the Solomon Islands. Reuters could not independently verify that flight path.
Alongside security concerns, Albanese and Wale agreed to accelerate negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral treaty aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
Australia has intensified its engagement with Pacific island nations in recent months, signing new agreements with Fiji and Vanuatu as it seeks to strengthen regional partnerships amid growing competition with China.
Wale also said during a visit to Australia last month that his government would review the Solomon Islands' security agreement with Beijing, signalling a potential reassessment of one of the region's most closely watched strategic relationships.
Freight on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway could soon move faster across borders after Georgia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye signed a new ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions...
Saudi Arabia is facing a widening security challenge from Yemen as Houthi forces consolidate recent territorial gains along the Red Sea coast and s...
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
British police have arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić resigned on Sunday, ending his second and final five-year term and paving the way for an early presidential election as the country prepares for a snap parliamentary vote on 25 October.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 September 2026, with the latest from Azerbaijan, from $10.8 billion in investment deals and Formula 1 drama to diplomacy and preparations for major FIFA tournaments.
Crude oil exports from major Middle Eastern producers rebounded in September to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
Russian strikes hit Kyiv and Ukraine’s Black Sea region of Odesa overnight into Tuesday, damaging infrastructure and civilian sites, while Moscow said it had also targeted vessels carrying military cargo.
British police are investigating whether individuals linked to a foreign state were involved in an apparent plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by the United States, while five suspects arrested in connection with the case are being released on bail.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, with preparations under way to send another 10,000.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment