MOFA begins withdrawal of staff from office in PNG

ADJUSTING BILATERAL TIES: Taiwan said that it would conduct a comprehensive review of bilateral ties in consideration of national dignity and interests

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it has begun withdrawing all diplomatic and technical mission personnel in Papua New Guinea (PNG) after being ordered to close its representative office.

Several personnel would remain in Papua New Guinea to oversee the office’s closure, but all other diplomatic staff and workers of the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund, the government’s foreign aid agency, are leaving, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said that it would arrange for embassies and representative offices in neighboring countries to provide assistance and consular services to the about 100 Taiwanese in Papua New Guinea, with support from the Overseas Community Affairs Council.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo is pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

Official vehicles, equipment and other movable assets would be inventoried, auctioned or transferred in accordance with property management regulations, it added.

Taiwan on Friday announced the closure of its de facto Papua New Guinea office, which was established in 1990.

The decision came after the Papua New Guinea government renewed its unilateral demand that personnel of the Taipei Economic Office in Port Moresby leave the country, the ministry said.

Papua New Guinea’s Department of Foreign Affairs in a statement early on Friday said its secretary, Elias Wohengu, had handed an official notice to Representative to Papua New Guinea Chiu Chen-yu (邱陳煜), demanding that he leave.

The department gave Chiu and First Secretary Lee Chung-nun seven days to leave Papua New Guinea, while the remaining diplomat, Pan Shao-jyun (潘少鈞), would remain to complete the office closure within a year, the statement said.

The ministry on the same day issued a statement saying it would close the office, withdraw all stationed personnel, and conduct a comprehensive review and adjustment of bilateral ties “in consideration of national dignity, diplomatic autonomy and overall national interests.”

Papua New Guinea Minister of Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko first demanded that Taiwan close its representative office on July 16, citing the country’s adherence to the “one China” policy.

Despite the Papua New Guinea government announcing the closure as immediate, Taiwan’s office remained open and operational.

Later in July, Taiwan said it was suspending spot purchases of Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas in response to the order to close its representative office.