Taiwan Says It Will Close Papua New Guinea Office and Halt Gas Purchases, Blaming Chinese Pressure
Taiwan says it is closing its representative office in Papua New Guinea and will stop buying liquefied natural gas (LNG), a chilled fuel that is shipped by tanker, from the Pacific nation. Al Jazeera Taipei blamed Chinese political pressure for Papua New Guinea's actions against the office.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Papua New Guinea had demanded that staff leave the office in Port Moresby, the capital, within a set deadline and had pushed for its closure. Focus Taiwan Taiwan said it will withdraw all personnel stationed in the country. The decision followed renewed demands from Papua New Guinea.
The gas decision carries significant weight for the Pacific nation. Taiwan said it will no longer sign new spot purchase contracts, which are one-off, short-term cargo deals, for LNG from Papua New Guinea. Taiwanese purchases accounted for one-third of Papua New Guinea's exports, and last year Taiwan imported about 8 percent of its natural gas from Port Moresby. Al Jazeera
Taipei also said it will end technical cooperation and assistance programmes with Papua New Guinea, including medical missions, scholarships and talent development programmes.
Earlier estimates from July put the value of the suspended imports at $800 million, according to ABC, while the Taipei Times put the halt at about 500,000 tonnes of LNG.
Papua New Guinea has formal diplomatic relations with China, but it had allowed Taiwan to keep a representative office in Port Moresby. Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with 12 countries in total, including three Pacific Island nations: Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. It also maintains a representative office in Fiji.
The current dispute began in July. On July 16, China's government said Papua New Guinea had decided to close Taiwan's office in the country, and Papua New Guinea said the closure was immediate. China called the decision the "right decision," and welcomed it as a step that would strengthen the political foundation for China-Papua New Guinea relations.
Taipei rejected the July move, and its office in Port Moresby remained open in the interim. Taiwan said it was seeking talks over the closure. The United States said it was deeply concerned by reports that Papua New Guinea had unilaterally ordered the closure of the Taipei Economic Office.
