Taiwan to close Papua New Guinea office and halt LNG purchases, blames China

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday that it will close its representative office in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and will no longer purchase liquefied natural gas from the country, accusing Chinese political pressure of prompting the move.

The ministry said PNG had repeatedly demanded that its staff vacate the office by a set deadline and had pushed for its shutdown, actions it described as “reflect China’s continued use of political pressure and economic influence to interfere in other countries’ diplomatic decisions and suppress Taiwan’s international space”, according to a statement.

China, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, welcomed PNG’s July decision to shutter the office, although the mission had stayed open pending the latest announcement. The Pacific region has become a battleground for Beijing and Taipei, with PNG maintaining formal ties with China while allowing Taiwan a representative presence.

Taiwan now has formal diplomatic relations with only three Pacific Island states – Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands – and a representative office in Fiji, bringing the total of countries recognising Taipei to twelve. Taiwanese LNG purchases previously represented about one‑third of PNG’s exports, and last year Taiwan imported roughly 8 percent of its natural gas from Port Moresby.

The ministry also said it will cease all technical cooperation and assistance programmes, “including medical missions, related scholarship and talent development programmes”, ending medical, scholarship and talent‑development support.