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He recalled similar tensions from a previous Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile test in September 2024.
“We as a region should not sit by and allow such tests to become normalized or routine,” Peters said.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, speaking from the Fijian capital of Suva, characterized the test as destabilizing amid China's rapid military expansion.
The test must be viewed “in the context of a rapid military build-up by China, which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent that the region expects,” Wong said.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed that Canberra received advance notice hours before the launch.
He said Australia is “very concerned about any actions which undermine the stability, the peace, and security of the Pacific.”
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese formalized the Ocean of Peace Alliance treaty with Fiji, expanding Canberra's regional security network.
Albanese committed over $1 billion over the next decade toward Fiji's infrastructure, health, and anti-crime measures.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka maintained that the security agreement would not harm Fiji's diplomatic relations with Beijing, calling it a “defining moment” in bilateral ties.
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“It does not threaten Fiji's relationship with China nor Australia's relationship with China,” Rabuka said.
