Taiwan closes Papua New Guinea office, blames China pressure

Taiwan said on November 6 it will close its representation office in Papua New Guinea and withdraw all its staff there, attributing the move to pressure from China on the Pacific country.

Why it matters: Papua New Guinea recognises Beijing but had let Taipei keep an office, so the closure is another Pacific foothold lost in the contest for Taiwan's remaining international space.

Data as of Agence France-Presse report of November 6, 2026, via UOL, in Portuguese, read in full in this run; single wire source in this run, so the item ships at grade C. Developing item.

Taiwan announced on Friday, November 6 that it will close its representation office in Papua New Guinea and withdraw all personnel posted there, and attributed the decision to pressure from China on the South Pacific country. Its foreign ministry said the office would close proactively, that bilateral cooperation relations would be reviewed and adjusted, and that the resources involved would in future go to friendly countries and other regions with cooperation potential.

The announcement follows months of dispute that began when Papua New Guinea decided in July to close Taiwan’s office in Port Moresby, a step Taipei rejected at the time. Papua New Guinea maintains official diplomatic relations with China, as most countries do, but had allowed Taiwan to keep a representation office until now.

Taiwan closes Papua New Guinea office, blames China pressure

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