Summarised by Centrist

The South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM), hosted by New Zealand, occurred shortly after China’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in 30 years aimed at the Pacific. 

Defence ministers from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, France, Tonga, Chile, Papua New Guinea, and observers from Japan, the UK, and the US participated.

New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins remarked on the urgency of collective action and acknowledged the increasingly tense geopolitical climate. 

“What we’re seeing is unprecedented from my experience and reading of history,” Collins said. 

The SPDMM focused on joint strategies to bolster defence capabilities and protect exclusive economic zones (EEZs) across the region, with topics ranging from border security to illegal fishing and transnational crime.

Collins stated New Zealand’s investment in defence, including acquiring new surveillance aircraft and the remote-controlled Bluebottle vessel. She also noted, “We would have very little intelligence capability without our friends,” in a nod to the Five Eyes alliance. 

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief were also discussed, with ministers endorsing the establishment of the Pacific Response Group (PRG) to coordinate emergency efforts. 

Despite growing tensions with China, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa argued that climate change remains the region’s greatest security threat.

Read more over at The Epoch Times

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