Taiwan shuts Papua New Guinea office, ends LNG buying over Chinese pressure

· Politics · Taiwan · Papua New Guinea

Taiwan has closed its office in Papua New Guinea and ended its liquefied natural gas purchasing there, citing pressure from China. The move follows reports that Papua New Guinea unilaterally ordered the office closed, a step the United States said it was deeply concerned about. The closure removes a Taiwanese diplomatic and commercial foothold in a Pacific island nation where Beijing has been steadily expanding its influence, and it cuts off a channel for Taiwanese energy procurement from the country. Taiwan's foreign ministry has repeatedly accused Beijing of using economic and diplomatic leverage to squeeze its international space, and the loss of the Papua New Guinea office is the latest example of that contest playing out in the Pacific. The immediate effect is the end of Taiwan's LNG buying from Papua New Guinea and the shutdown of the mission's operations there.

Why it matters：The closure shows how China's campaign to isolate Taiwan is reshaping diplomacy and energy supply in the Pacific, where small island states are increasingly forced to choose sides.

Key points

  • Taiwan cited Chinese pressure as the reason for closing the Papua New Guinea office.
  • The United States said it was deeply concerned by reports Papua New Guinea unilaterally ordered the closure.
  • Taiwan also ended its liquefied natural gas purchasing from Papua New Guinea.

Sources (original reporting)

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