[International] Papua New Guinea Announces Closure of Taiwan Representative Office; Experts Predict Expanded Economic and Trade Cooperation with China
RtiTalk 小編18d ago
Papua New Guinea has announced the closure of Taiwan's trade office in Port Moresby. Experts interviewed by Radio Free Asia (RFA) noted that while the move is diplomatically puzzling, it signals Papua New Guinea's intention to further expand its economic and trade cooperation with China.
Papua New Guinea's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Justin Tkatchenko, announced in a statement last month that the "Chinese Taipei Economics Office" would cease operations and be officially closed, citing Papua New Guinea's "unwavering adherence to, respect for, and upholding of Papua New Guinea's one-China policy."
Paul Barker, Executive Director of the PNG Institute of National Affairs, a think tank in Port Moresby, expressed confusion over the decision.
He said, "People do wonder why this action is being taken at this particular time." He pointed out that Papua New Guinea has always emphasized "making friends widely and making no enemies" and pursuing its own path of regional development with Pacific partners and ASEAN countries.
Barker stated that Papua New Guinea signed a mutual defense treaty with Australia just last year and maintains defense cooperation with regional partners such as China, Indonesia, and the United States.
He added that while Papua New Guinea recognized the one-China policy shortly after independence, it has continued to maintain trade, investment, and cultural exchanges with Taiwan over the years. "This is perfectly reasonable, as China and Taiwan also continue to have economic and trade interactions, and their economies remain highly connected on many levels."
The report noted that Papua New Guinea's one-China policy differs from the one adopted by the U.S. government. Papua New Guinea directly recognizes Beijing's claims over Taiwan, while the U.S. only "acknowledges" Beijing's position without taking a formal stance on Taiwan's sovereignty. Both policies recognize the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, but in practice, they retain space for developing unofficial relations with Taiwan, a practice followed by many countries worldwide.
However, according to Tkatchenko's statement, Papua New Guinea's unofficial relationship with Taiwan will also come to an end. In response, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protested the closure of the office and stated that the office would "continue normal operations."
Following Papua New Guinea's unilateral announcement of the office's closure, Taiwan reviewed its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Papua New Guinea and decided to suspend spot purchases.
Subsequently, Beijing announced it would increase its purchases of LNG from Papua New Guinea.
Jonah Bock, Deputy Research Director at the Alliance for Futures Initiative, a Washington-based think tank, noted that Taiwan's reaction is consistent with its past practice of taking retaliatory measures against countries that downgrade their official relations with Taiwan.
Bock said, "For Taiwan, even informal relations are very important, but it must also send a signal to the outside world that such actions will not be without consequences." He pointed out that Taiwan's move is not only a warning to Papua New Guinea but also a message to all countries maintaining relations with Taiwan.
He believes that Papua New Guinea's closure of the "Chinese Taipei Economics Office" is just one part of China's ongoing efforts to squeeze Taiwan's international space. Currently, only Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu among the Pacific island nations recognize Taiwan, and there are no signs of a shift towards Beijing in the short term. However, China's goal is not just to gain diplomatic recognition but to completely eliminate Taiwan's remaining international activities.
Bock stated that Chinese diplomats continue to lobby other countries in the region to sever ties with Taiwan. "As long as the two sides have not unified, China will not stop and will actively take any action that can reduce Taiwan's international space, because its 'national rejuvenation' ideology is built upon the completion of unification."
Barker, on the other hand, said that the decision affects more than just natural gas exports or bilateral trade. Taiwan and Papua New Guinea have long maintained educational and cultural exchanges, including scholarships, exchange programs, agricultural development cooperation, and Taiwanese investment in Papua New Guinea.
Barker mentioned the deep historical ties between Taiwan's indigenous peoples and the peoples of Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands. The Austronesian peoples spread out from Taiwan about 6,000 years ago, and the origin of the Austronesian language family can also be traced back to Taiwan. He said that based on this cultural connection, Papua New Guinea should still find ways to maintain a certain level of exchange with Taiwan, which would not necessarily harm its relationship with Beijing.
However, Bock believes that reality dictates that "economic interests come first." Although Taiwan's cancellation of the purchase contract is detrimental to Papua New Guinea's economy in the short term, given the timing, Papua New Guinea has clearly made prior arrangements for expanded economic and trade cooperation with China.
Bock pointed out, "This move is intended to please China, with the goal of securing massive Chinese funding." He added that Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape visited China in April to discuss expanding bilateral trade and investment; the two countries signed an economic cooperation framework agreement in May; and in July, they held high-level talks at the "PNG-China Business Forum and Trade Expo" in Guangzhou.
He said, "In the months leading up to the closure of the Taipei office, China and Papua New Guinea had already paved the way for larger-scale economic cooperation. Closing the office is the price Papua New Guinea is paying to ensure China fulfills its commitments." (Editor: Liu Xianghua)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=224582
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