China Says PNG Shut Taiwan's Economic Office
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- China's foreign ministry said on July 16 that Papua New Guinea decided to close Taiwan's Taipei Economic Office, with a spokesperson telling reporters in Beijing that the decision was 'highly appreciated.'
- China's embassy in Papua New Guinea called the closure the 'right decision,' saying it would 'further consolidate political foundation for the development of China-PNG bilateral relations.'
- Taiwan had maintained a de facto embassy in Papua New Guinea through the trade/economic office, which Port Moresby replaced in 2023 citing financial challenges; Taiwan's foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the closure claim.
- Papua New Guinea's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment, and Reuters said it could not immediately find a government statement confirming the office's closure.
- Taiwan retains formal diplomatic ties with only 12 countries globally and just three Pacific Islands nations — Palau, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands — while also operating a similar de facto office in Fiji.
- The Pacific has long been a diplomatic battleground between Beijing and Taipei; in 2020, a Taiwanese diplomat was hospitalized in Fiji after two Chinese diplomats stormed a reception to gather information on attendees.
Why it matters: PNG's reported closure of Taiwan's de facto embassy — unconfirmed by Port Moresby but openly celebrated by Beijing — would further thin Taipei's already-slim diplomatic footprint of 12 formal allies globally and just three in the Pacific. The pattern fits Beijing's years-long campaign to strip Taiwan of every remaining symbol of statehood abroad.
