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Taiwan has accused China of pressuring Papua New Guinea (PNG) to expel Taiwanese diplomats and shut down its representative office in Port Moresby, alleging that Beijing may have used economic incentives to influence the Pacific nation's sudden diplomatic decision, according to a report by Central News Agency (CNA).
During a legislative hearing on Thursday, Lin Hung-hsun, Deputy Director-General of Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said PNG initially demanded the closure of Taiwan's representative office on July 16, citing its adherence to the "one-China" policy. According to CNA, Taiwan and PNG subsequently held discussions and reached an understanding that PNG would provide one year's written notice before the representative office was closed. However, on November 6, PNG reportedly reversed its earlier position and demanded that Taiwanese diplomats leave the country within seven days. Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi told lawmakers that Taiwan believed the sudden change in PNG's position was driven by pressure from Beijing. He pointed to a recent visit by a high-level PNG delegation to China and the upcoming visit of PNG Prime Minister James Marape to China to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. "Given these circumstances, our assessment is that the government of Papua New Guinea may have been subjected to significant pressure from China or even offered economic incentives," Chen said, as cited by CNA. Chen also highlighted China's announcement that it was prepared to increase imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from PNG. This came after Taiwan decided to stop purchasing LNG from the Pacific nation following its demand to close the Taiwanese representative office. The diplomatic dispute concerns the Taiwan Economic Office, which was established in Port Moresby in 1990. On November 6, PNG's Department of Foreign Affairs announced that its secretary, Elias Wohengu, had instructed the office's head, Chiu Chen-yu, and First Secretary Lee Chung-nun to leave the country within seven days. The remaining diplomat, Pan Shao-jyun, was permitted to stay to oversee the office's closure within a year. PNG's foreign affairs department also clarified that although Taiwan had been given 12 months to complete the closure, this should not be interpreted as a guarantee that existing staffing and operational arrangements would remain unchanged during that period. In response, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced that it would shut down the representative office and withdraw all personnel stationed in PNG. The ministry also said it would conduct a comprehensive review and adjustment of its relations with PNG, taking into account Taiwan's national dignity, diplomatic autonomy and overall national interests. According to CNA, Taiwan has since begun withdrawing its diplomatic and technical mission personnel from the Pacific nation. PNG maintains diplomatic relations with China, which follows a policy of not allowing its diplomatic allies to maintain simultaneous official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The latest developments have further highlighted Beijing's diplomatic pressure on countries maintaining or considering engagement with Taipei. (ANI)
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