Natural Gas Supply at Risk? Papua New Guinea Suddenly Closes Taiwan Office – Tang Hsiang-long: China's Power Has Entered the South Pacific

Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced on the 16th via Facebook that the government has unilaterally decided to close Taiwan's representative office. The decision has already been communicated to Chinese Ambassador Yang Xiaoguang, reaffirming PNG's adherence to the 'One China' policy. In response, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it does not accept PNG's unilateral decision and that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Papua New Guinea will continue normal operations.

Commentator Tang Hsiang-long, on the program 'Wind Direction, Dragon and Phoenix Match,' said the DPP government is struggling diplomatically in the South Pacific and Africa. Tang emphasized that the official name of Taiwan's office—'Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Papua New Guinea'—follows standard naming conventions and does not involve the kind of naming disputes seen with the 'Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania.' PNG had previously closed its representative office in Taiwan in 2023, citing budget constraints, without consulting Taiwan.

Tang noted that due to PNG's rich natural resources, Taiwan is more economically dependent on it, particularly in natural gas imports. PNG supplies approximately one-eighth of Taiwan's total natural gas imports, making it a key supplier. Nearly half of Taiwan's electricity generation relies on natural gas, making import dependency extremely high. Tang believes Taiwan may seek diplomatic assistance through U.S. and Australian channels, but the natural gas market is seller-dominated, leaving Taiwan with little leverage.

Tang also referenced the 'Papua New Guinea diplomatic fund embezzlement scandal' during former President Chen Shui-bian's administration, in which brokers Wu Sijia and Jin Jijiu allegedly embezzled nearly 1 billion New Taiwan dollars in diplomatic funds intended for establishing formal ties. However, PNG ultimately showed no interest in establishing relations, revealing Taiwan's lack of understanding of PNG during Chen's second term. Despite this, PNG is the second-largest country in the South Pacific by population and area after Australia, making it geopolitically significant.

Tang argued that diplomatically, the DPP government is now at a standstill. Taiwan's remaining allies in the South Pacific and Africa are unable to assert independent national will. 'The countries President Lai Qingde can still visit are all nations sustained by Taiwan’s financial support—states in name only,' he said. The PNG incident demonstrates that China's national power has entered the South Pacific, turning the region into a key battleground for U.S.-China rivalry.