Taipei:Taiwan will close its representative office in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and withdraw all personnel stationed there following renewed demands from the PNG government to shut down the office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced on Friday.
According to Focus Taiwan, the decision was made to uphold Taiwan's national dignity, diplomatic autonomy, and overall interests after PNG reiterated its demand that Taiwanese personnel leave the country by a set deadline. This development follows PNG's unilateral announcement in July to close Taiwan's office, leading Taiwan to suspend spot-market purchases of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from PNG.
MOFA stated that PNG's actions have severely damaged the mutual trust built through years of cooperation, accusing China of leveraging political pressure and economic influence to interfere in other countries' diplomatic decisions and limit Taiwan's international space. Alongside closing the office, Taiwan will terminate all technical cooperation and assistance programs in PNG, which include technical and medical missions, scholarships, and personnel training.
Taiwan has ceased purchasing LNG from PNG on the spot market and will not enter any new spot purchase contracts. The ministry noted that Taiwan had initially planned to purchase approximately 500,000 tonnes of spot LNG from PNG in the first half of 2026. Despite the suspension of spot purchases, Taiwan has assessed its domestic gas demand, adjusted procurement plans, and secured alternative supplies to maintain a stable energy supply.
The ministry reiterated Taiwan's stance as a sovereign, independent country, asserting that it and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other. It also called on the international community to oppose China's use of political and economic pressure to influence other countries' diplomatic decisions and restrict Taiwan's international participation.
