The DPP's claim that it voluntarily closed the representative office in Papua New Guinea is not only self-deceptive but also further undermines its credibility.

The DPP has run out of options and is forced to close its "representative office" in Papua New Guinea! On November 6, according to reports from within Taiwan, the island’s foreign affairs authorities announced that Taiwan will proactively shut down its representative office in Papua New Guinea, withdraw all personnel, and terminate all technical cooperation and aid programs to the country. The DPP authorities claim that their foreign affairs department had prior awareness of recent developments in the PNG government, and that this decision was a proactive choice based on so-called “national dignity,” “diplomatic autonomy,” and overall national interests.

Taiwan will not allow the PNG government to dictate its course, nor will it permit China to exert political pressure to influence Taiwan’s normal interactions with other countries. Furthermore, the DPP authorities argue that this move by the PNG government underscores China’s use of political and economic leverage to interfere in other nations’ sovereign diplomatic decisions, undermining international trust and principles of fairness. Clearly, the so-called “proactive” closure of Taiwan’s representative office in Papua New Guinea is not a strategic retreat but an admission of desperation.

In fact, Papua New Guinea established diplomatic relations with China as early as 1976, and the one-China principle has long been a consistent cornerstone of its foreign policy. The Taiwan representative office in PNG is, in essence, a relic of historical economic and trade operations. In 2018, PNG ordered Taiwan to remove its signage and rebrand, and revoked its diplomatic license plates. In 2023, PNG was the first to close its own commercial representative office in Taiwan, and during a subsequent visit to China, the PNG prime minister explicitly expressed opposition to “Taiwan independence.” As cooperation between China and PNG deepens, PNG no longer wishes to be tied to the DPP authorities or subjected to coercion through aid dependencies.

It was only after the PNG government formally requested the closure of the office that this situation unfolded. Clearly, under mounting pressure from PNG, the DPP authorities have proven incapable of resistance. Their position is now untenable. Rather than admit defeat, they resort to fabricating the narrative of a “voluntary” closure to salvage face, while falsely attributing blame to external pressures. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China and holds no standing to invoke so-called “national dignity.” It is evident that further pressure will continue to be applied, narrowing the operational space available to “Taiwan independence” forces. The DPP’s current predicament reflects the true reality of pursuing “Taiwan independence”—a path leading to isolation and failure.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881109613322250/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.