Taiwan Reassesses Economic Ties With Papua New Guinea After Office Closure

RNZ
Pacific reporters

Taiwan is reassessing its
economic ties with Papua New Guinea after
PNG announced the closure of Taipei’s representative office
in Port Moresby.

Taiwanese officials have reported
saying they were blindsided by the decision.

The
Taipei Times reports that Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry
convened a meeting to discuss potential responses.

A
spokesperson for the ministry said these include reviewing
Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases from
PNG.

They said Taiwan’s imports of about 1.2 million
tonnes of LNG annually account for about a third of PNG’s
LNG exports and are a major source of revenue for the
country.

Last week, PNG’s foreign minister Justin
Tkatchenko said the decision to end Taiwan’s representation
in PNG was consistent with PNG’s One China policy.

The
announcement came a week after PNG’s government voiced
concern over China’s testing of a nuclear-capable ballistic
missile in the South Pacific.

Tkatchenko told RNZ
Pacific the announcement was a formality for a decision made
some time ago. However Taiwan said the move had not been
discussed in advance with it.

The announcement was
welcomed by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a
spokesperson for whom said that the government “highly
commends” PNG’s decision.

Meanwhile, the US Department
of State said Washington was “deeply concerned” by PNG’s
decision and called it part of Beijing’s intimidation
campaign.

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