China pressure behind PNG's abrupt expulsion of Taiwan diplomats: MOFA

Detailed summary

Taiwan foreign ministry officials said Thursday that China was behind Papua New Guinea's (PNG) sudden decision last week to expel Taiwanese diplomats and demand the closure of the Taiwan representative office there.

Taipei, Nov. 12 (CNA) Taiwan foreign ministry officials said Thursday that China was behind Papua New Guinea's (PNG) sudden decision last week to expel Taiwanese diplomats and demand the closure of the Taiwan representative office there.

PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko first made the demand on July 16 for the closure of the Taiwan representative office, citing his country's adherence to the "one-China" policy, said Lin Hung-hsun (林宏勳), deputy director-general of the foreign ministry's Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Taiwan and PNG subsequently engaged in talks over the matter, and it was agreed that PNG would give Taiwan one year's written notice to close the representative office, Lin said during a legislative hearing.

However, on Nov. 6, PNG raised the issue again, demanding that Taiwanese diplomats there leave the country within seven days, he said.

Also answering questions at the legislative hearing, Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said he believed PNG's about-turn was driven by pressure from China.

He pointed out that a high-level PNG delegation had visited China just last week, while PNG Prime Minister James Marape is scheduled to travel to China next week to attend the APEC summit.

"Given these circumstances, our assessment is that the government of Papua New Guinea may have been subjected to significant pressure from China or even offered economic incentives," Chen said.

For instance, China has announced that it stands ready to increase its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from PNG, following Taiwan's decision to stop purchasing LNG from the Pacific nation after PNG demanded the closure of the Taiwan representative office there, Chen said.

Chen and Lin were answering lawmakers' questions about the closure of the Taiwan Economic Office, as it was named, which was first opened in 1990 in Port Moresby, PNG.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Focus Taiwan (CNA). To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.