Overview
- Papua New Guinea's foreign minister said on Thursday that the Taipei Economic Office in Port Moresby will be closed as part of an administrative alignment with the One China policy.
- Taiwan's foreign ministry lodged a formal protest, said the office will continue to operate for now, and warned it will reassess cooperation and projects with PNG.
- Beijing publicly praised PNG's decision as support for the One China principle while the U.S. State Department said it was deeply concerned and New Zealand said it was seeking more information.
- Officials dispute whether PNG properly notified Taipei and whether the closure has been put into effect, leaving the office's practical status unclear and the situation subject to change.
- The decision carries economic and strategic weight because Taiwan is a major trading partner for PNG and the move is seen as part of Beijing's broader push to shrink Taiwan's diplomatic space in the Pacific.