Official Statement on the Chinese Ballistic Missile Test in the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone
Government of the Kingdom of Boralani Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 July 2026
The Kingdom of Boralani expresses its profound concern at the ballistic missile test conducted by the People’s Republic of China on 6 July 2026. A submarine-launched ballistic missile, assessed as nuclear-capable, was fired from the South China Sea, traversed the northern Philippines and the Second Island Chain, and impacted in the South Pacific in waters close to Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone and within the geographic area covered by the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone.
This was not a routine exercise. The timing — immediately following the signing of the Ocean of Peace Alliance between Australia and Fiji — and the limited advance notice provided to regional states have heightened anxiety across the Pacific. Small island nations, including our own, were given scant opportunity to assess implications for our shared waters and security environment.
The Kingdom of Boralani is a Pacific island nation whose waters lie south of Tuvalu in the very region affected by this test. We are therefore not distant observers. The South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone, established by the Treaty of Rarotonga in 1985 and to whose principles and objectives the Kingdom remains fully committed, was created precisely to prevent the introduction of nuclear weapons and the conduct of nuclear-related activities in our ocean home. While the payload on this occasion was reported as a dummy warhead, the demonstration of long-range sea-based nuclear strike capability reaching into our region sends an unmistakable message of power projection.
The Kingdom notes with regret that such actions undermine the spirit of the Rarotonga Treaty and the broader vision of a Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace. They risk accelerating a cycle of militarisation that diverts attention and resources from the existential challenges facing Pacific peoples — climate change, ocean degradation, sustainable development, and human security.
The Kingdom of Boralani reaffirms the following principles:
- The Pacific Ocean is our home, not an arena for great-power competition or displays of strategic reach.
- Security arrangements in the region must be transparent, Pacific-led where possible, and consistent with the sovereign equality of all states, large and small.
- The Treaty of Rarotonga and associated protocols represent a hard-won regional achievement that deserves respect in both letter and spirit.
- True stability arises from mutual respect, adherence to international law, and cooperation on shared priorities rather than from unilateral demonstrations of force.
We call upon the People’s Republic of China to exercise greater transparency and to consult meaningfully in advance with Pacific Island nations on any activities that may affect the security, environment, or stability of our region. We further urge all external actors to refrain from actions that heighten tensions or erode the nuclear-free status of the South Pacific.
The Kingdom of Boralani will continue to work through the Pacific Islands Forum and with like-minded partners to advance the Boralani 2050 vision of resilience, renewable energy independence, sustainable ocean stewardship, and peaceful development. We stand ready to engage constructively with any nation that approaches our region with respect for sovereignty and a genuine commitment to the well-being of Pacific peoples.
Government of the Kingdom of Boralani Nalikai