Sawt Falasteen - Pacific nation of Tuvalu condemns Chinese missile launch into Pacific

A Chinese submarine test-fired a "strategic" missile carrying a dummy warhead on Monday, with monitors saying the rocket appeared to land in a patch of ocean somewhere between Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu.

Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo said his nation shared the "grave and serious concern and disappointment of other Pacific leaders" at the launch of the nuclear-capable ballistic missile.

Pacific Island leaders are considering a "very strong" joint statement condemning China's missile test, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday.

The Pacific Islands Forum regional bloc was circulating a draft of the statement among its 18 members for endorsement, Albanese told reporters in Brisbane, ahead of meetings with the leaders of Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Samoa.

- 'Strong message' -

In a statement, Teo said the launch was against the aspirations of Pacific countries for a nuclear-free zone, and called for "superpowers to refrain from using the Pacific Ocean as a testing ground for their military arsenals".

Tuvalu is among a handful of Pacific countries that has diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not Beijing.

The missile test drew swift condemnation from nations including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States.

Many South Pacific countries, with aid-dependent economies and indebted to Chinese banks for infrastructure loans, are reluctant to publicly criticise Beijing, although the Solomon Islands on Tuesday said it had protested over the missile firing.

"We are hoping as well that the nations of the Pacific join together to send a strong message," Albanese said, after returning from a visit to the Solomons.

"It's a very strong statement," he added.

Albanese held security talks with Tonga Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and Samoa's Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt in Brisbane, before hosting the three leaders at a showpiece rugby league match.

"Tonga subscribes to the Pacific leaders proposal for an ocean of peace. This is very important for us, and we will be joining a joint statement that's currently being discussed by the forum leaders," Fakafanua said in opening remarks.

- 'Strange coincidence' -

Australia is pouring millions of dollars into boosting rugby league and rugby union programmes in Pacific countries, seeing it as a "soft power" edge in its competition with China for influence.

"We want to be responsible for our security -- Pacific leaders coming together to provide security for our own region," Albanese told reporters.

China's missile was fired on the same day Australia and Fiji signed a major defence alliance, the latest in a string of security treaties Canberra has struck with South Pacific countries as it seeks to block China establishing a permanent security presence in the region.

Fiji's Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he had warned China's embassy against firing a missile.

"Missile testing doesn't augur much for respect and trust," he told the ABC.

He added it was a "strange coincidence" China's missile tracking ship, Yuan Wang 5, was in port in Fiji when the missile was fired.

Y.Shaath--SF-PST