Taiwan Closes Papua New Guinea Office as IPAC Names Strait Peace a Priority
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Friday it will close its representative office in Papua New Guinea, withdraw all personnel and stop buying liquefied natural gas on the spot market, blaming Chinese political pressure, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters. Beijing had welcomed Port Moresby’s July decision to shut the office.
Reuters reported that Taipei also said its friendship with Paraguay is unaffected after President Santiago Peña resigned following a bank collapse. Paraguay is one of 12 countries with formal ties to Taiwan, and China sanctioned ministers from Paraguay and Belize last month.
In The Hague, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China named Taiwan Strait peace and resilience against economic coercion as priorities for the coming year, Taipei Times reported.
None of the reports described new military moves; the pressure this time is diplomatic.