The willingness of the Pacific Island Forum’s member countries and territories to agree during this event to a joint reproach of China for the missile launch in July was seen by some as a litmus test for how much the geopolitical jostling in the region among major powers had destabilized relations among the group of mainly small island states. The test-launch came after China conducted a missile test in the Pacific two years ago, firing an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead, the first since 1980.
Pacific leaders announcing decisions the group made during a private retreat day at their annual summit, held this year in Palau, said the island nation of Nauru — which has had warmer ties to China in recent years — dissented from the statement of concern.