August 14, 2026
Pohnpei – The Pohnpei State Legislature has formally expressed “grave concern” over China’s test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean and has called on the FSM national government to register its concerns with China and strengthen cooperation with the United States and regional partners.
Legislative Resolution No. 173-26, adopted July 21 during the Eleventh Pohnpei Legislature’s 29th Special Session, describes the launch as a threat to regional peace, maritime safety and the security and economic welfare of Pohnpei, the FSM and the broader Pacific region.
The resolution concerns the People’s Republic of China’s launch of an ICBM carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean. According to the Legislature, it was the first time in more than four decades that China had publicly acknowledged firing an ICBM into the Pacific.
The Legislature said the test was conducted without adequate advance notification or consultation with Pacific Island countries and raised concerns about civilian aviation, maritime transit and the sovereignty of Pacific nations.
“The Pacific Ocean is not an open testing ground for weapons of mass destruction,” the resolution says, adding that the Blue Pacific has long been regarded as a zone of peace, security and environmental preservation.
The resolution is notable for its strong language despite Pohnpei’s longstanding relationship with China.
It acknowledges that the FSM has maintained close and mutually beneficial diplomatic relations with China for many years and notes that Pohnpei has participated in that relationship by hosting the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Tropical Demonstration Farm. The State has provided land for those facilities without charge or other encumbrances.
Against that background, the Legislature characterized the missile launch as a “destabilizing action” that increases the possibility of miscalculation, raises geopolitical tensions and threatens the security, safety and economic welfare of people in Pohnpei, the FSM and elsewhere in the Pacific.
The Legislature also based part of its position on the FSM’s security relationship with the United States under the Compact of Free Association. The resolution notes that the United States has authority and responsibility for the FSM’s security and defense under the Compact.
It further says the welfare of Pohnpei’s people depends on maintaining a secure, open and peaceful maritime environment without threats from military coercion or environmental damage from missile debris and military exercises.
Beyond expressing concern, the resolution calls on the FSM national government to formally register its concerns with China regarding the missile tests.
It asks the national government to work closely with the United States to improve regional monitoring, early-warning capabilities and civil defense readiness. It also calls for the FSM to declare its alignment with the United States and regional partners in criticizing the missile test as a threat to regional peace, maritime safety and international stability.
The Legislature further called for the FSM to reaffirm its defense partnership with the United States and acknowledge U.S. security guarantees as important to protecting FSM sovereignty and peace in the Micronesian region.
At the same time, the resolution broadens its appeal beyond China, calling on all nations to respect the Pacific Ocean as a zone of peace, cease unilateral military activities that threaten regional safety and comply with international standards for transparency, notification and maritime law.
Copies of the resolution were directed to Pohnpei Governor Stevenson A. Joseph, FSM President Wesley Simina, the Speaker of the FSM Congress and the Secretary of the FSM Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as the governors and legislative leaders of the other FSM states.
The Legislature also directed that copies be transmitted to the ambassadors of China, the United States, Australia and Japan to the FSM and to the chairman of the Mwoalen Wahu Ileile en Pohnpei.
The Legislature adopted the resolution on July 21, 2026.
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