TAIPEI – Taiwan said on Nov 6 that it had decided to shut its representative office in Papua New Guinea and stop buying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the country, blaming pressure from China.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Papua New Guinea, which briefly had diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1999, had repeated previous demands that staff leave its office in Port Moresby within a set deadline and had pushed for its closure.
Papua New Guinea’s actions “reflect China’s continued use of political pressure and economic influence to interfere in other countries’ diplomatic decisions and suppress Taiwan’s international space”, the foreign ministry added in a statement.
In July, Papua New Guinea’s foreign minister said it had decided to close Taiwan’s representative office, winning praise from China.
The office had, however, remained open in the interim.
A US State Department spokesperson said the United States was deeply concerned by reports that Papua New Guinea had unilaterally ordered the office closed.
“This is yet another example of Beijing’s intimidation campaign against Taiwan and its supporters around the world,” the spokesperson added.
The Pacific has long been an area for diplomatic competition between China and Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory with no right to the trappings of a state. Taiwan’s government rejects that position.
Neither the Papua New Guinea nor the Chinese foreign ministries immediately responded to requests for comment.
Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only three Pacific island nations: Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.
It also has a representative office in Fiji. Just 12 countries maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry also said it had stopped buying LNG from Papua New Guinea through the spot market, which in the first half of 2026 was planned for about 500,000 tonnes.
Taiwan will not sign any new spot natural gas purchase contracts with the country, it added.
Taiwan has long been an important market for Papua New Guinea’s natural gas exports, with purchases accounting for roughly a third of total LNG exports, its foreign ministry said.
“So this change in procurement policy will have a substantive impact on Papua New Guinea’s natural gas exports and foreign exchange earnings,” it added. REUTERS
