On July 16, 2026, the foreign minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Justin Tkatchenko, abruptly announced the closure of Taiwan’s economic office in Port Moresby. “The physical presence of Chinese Taipei will no longer be recognized or required within the jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea,” the minister said in a statement posted online, using an alternative name for Taiwan.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, quickly welcomed the decision, reinforcing perceptions that Beijing’s growing influence in the Pacific shaped the move.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately rejected the announcement as a unilateral decision made without prior consultation. Taipei also announced that it was reassessing bilateral cooperation and economic exchanges with PNG and had briefed like-minded partners on the dispute.
The conflicting positions underscore the uncertainty surrounding Taiwan’s diplomatic presence in the Pacific: while PNG has declared the office closed, Taiwan has refused to recognize the decision as settled. The episode illustrates how quickly political access can be curtailed, and how contested and fragile Taiwan’s informal diplomatic relationships in the region have become.
