Pacific island states are trapped in Cold War 2.0

Geopolitically, it’s like a feudal hierarchy: small island nations as vassals, Australia and New Zealand as local lords and the US as king Finally, this month, a PIF statement that “registered concern on the recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test” was issued. China was not named, and Nauru disassociated itself. Kiribati previously said singling out China was unfair when the US regularly tested such missiles near the Marshall Islands. In March, the US launched a Minuteman III ICBM from California, landing near the Marshall Islands 6,700km away; it followed a similar test in November last year. The US has test-fired at least 15 ballistic missiles into the Pacific since 2021.

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