The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today (6th) that it will voluntarily close its representative office in Papua New Guinea, withdraw all personnel stationed there, and completely terminate all technical cooperation and assistance programs with Papua New Guinea. Diplomatic officials pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has long been aware of the recent developments of the Papua New Guinea government and continues to assess and predict possible changes in bilateral relations. Relevant decisions are proactive choices based on national dignity, diplomatic independence and overall interests. "Taiwan will not let the Papua New Guinea government take the lead, nor will it allow China to dominate Taiwan's normal exchanges with other countries through political pressure."
Papua New Guinea is not a diplomatic ally of my country. The two sides maintain substantive relations through the Taiwan Economic and Trade Office in Port Moresby. my country has continued to provide assistance in the fields of economy, agriculture, medical and health care, and talent cultivation for many years. However, the Papua New Guinea government has once again unilaterally required our staff to leave the country within a time limit and pushed for the closure of our station. After a comprehensive evaluation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to take the initiative to close the station and immediately cease the operations of the station, and comprehensively terminate all assistance including technical missions, medical mission services and scholarships, and talent cultivation programs.
The official said that considering that PNG has increasingly moved closer to its position on China in recent years, and that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Summit is about to take place, and that the heads of state of China and PNG are expected to meet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already grasped the relevant situation developments and PNG's possible follow-up actions in advance and incorporated them into the overall assessment.
Officials pointed out that Foreign Minister Lin Jialong has held a meeting on the existence of the station and bilateral cooperation, completed comprehensive discussions and made a decision to close the station. At the same time, he has communicated and explained to allies and countries with similar concepts in advance to ensure that international partners fully understand our position and decision-making considerations.
The official emphasized that our proactive adjustment of bilateral relations means taking the initiative in diplomatic work into our own hands and simultaneously reviewing the global diplomatic layout and resource allocation. He also pointed out that diplomatic resources are limited and must be invested in places that have a basis for mutual trust, can deepen cooperation and create substantial results. In the future, we will continue to strengthen relations with friendly countries and actively operate other countries and regions worthy of investment, so that Taiwan's diplomatic resources can be more effective.
As for the energy impact that is of concern to the outside world, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced earlier that my country has stopped purchasing Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the spot market. The original planned spot purchase volume in the first half of 2026 is about 500,000 metric tons, and it will no longer sign new natural gas spot purchase contracts with Papua New Guinea in the future. Taiwan has long been an important market for PNG’s natural gas exports. my country’s procurement accounts for about one-third of PNG’s total LNG exports. This adjustment in procurement policy is bound to have a substantial impact on PNG’s natural gas exports and foreign exchange earnings.
The official said that the government has already conducted an inter-ministerial inventory and assessment of relevant energy cooperation between Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, and has completed proper planning for related energy needs and alternatives. All response measures have been taken into consideration, and the impact on domestic energy supply is expected to be limited and will not cause a major impact. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that we have completed the domestic natural gas supply and demand assessment and procurement allocation adjustment, and have found alternative gas sources to ensure stable and sufficient domestic energy supply.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent country and is not affiliated with the People's Republic of China. Countries should have the right to independently decide on the methods of exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan, and should not be subject to political coercion and manipulation by third parties. The PNG government's decision once again highlights China's use of political and economic means to interfere in other countries' independent foreign policy decisions and undermine the principles of international mutual trust and fairness.
