Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced on Wednesday that the country will close its representative office in Taiwan.
The Papua New Guinea Trade Office in Taiwan will be replaced by a new liaison office located in the Papuan capital of Port Moresby.
At the same time, Tkatchenko denied that the move was due to pressure from China. He said it comes after an evaluation of the operations and efficiency of its diplomatic posts around the world.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) says the ministry is aware of the situation and that the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation.
The Foreign Ministry says according to its understanding, the decision is the result of the Papuan government’s long-standing financial problems. It adds that this development will not affect Taiwan’s representative office in Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea is an important supplier of liquified natural gas and other natural resources to Taiwan. In 2022 alone Taiwan imported over US$1.1 billion worth of Papuan natural gas.
The Foreign Ministry says Taiwan has over the last few years assisted Papua New Guinea in improving agricultural and fishing technology, offered clean energy solutions, scholarships, and personnel training. It hopes the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in areas of agriculture and fishing, trade, and energy.