Papua New Guinea immediately announced the closure of Taiwan's representative office, and China expressed high appreciation.

Foreign Minister of Papua New Guinea Announces Immediate Closure of Taiwan's Representative Office

Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced on Thursday that his government has decided to immediately close the "Taipei Economic Office in Papua New Guinea."

In a post on his Facebook page, Tkatchenko stated that Papua New Guinea will no longer recognize or require the "entity existence" of "Chinese Taipei" within its jurisdiction — a term used by Taiwan in specific international organizations such as APEC.

Tkatchenko said he had informed Chinese Ambassador Yang Xiaoguang to Papua New Guinea this week about the decision, adding that the country views this "administrative adjustment" as an important step toward enhancing bilateral relations.

At a regular press briefing on Thursday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded by expressing "high appreciation" for the move, stating that "China stands ready to continue firmly supporting Papua New Guinea on issues concerning each other's core interests, jointly advancing the development of comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries."

The Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea stated that closing Taiwan’s local representative institution is a "correct decision," which will "further consolidate the political foundation for the development of Sino-PNG bilateral relations."

Papua New Guinea briefly established diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1999. Currently, Taiwan maintains formal diplomatic relations with only three Pacific island allies: Palau, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands.

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870914356651020/

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