Taiwan shuts Papua New Guinea office and ends LNG buying, citing Chinese pressure
UNG•Taiwan said it would close its representative office in Papua New Guinea and stop buying the country’s LNG, including spot-market purchases planned at about 500,000 metric tons in the first half of 2026. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the change would substantially affect Papua New Guinea’s LNG exports and foreign exchange earnings.
1. Office closure and LNG halt
Taiwan said it had decided to shut its representative office in Papua New Guinea and stop buying liquefied natural gas from the country, citing Chinese pressure. Its foreign ministry said Papua New Guinea had repeated demands for staff to leave the office in Port Moresby and pushed for its closure.
2. Impact on exports
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said spot-market purchases planned for the first half of 2026 were about 500,000 metric tons, and Taiwan would not sign new spot natural gas purchase contracts with Papua New Guinea. It said Taiwan’s purchases accounted for roughly a third of Papua New Guinea’s total LNG exports, and that the procurement change would have a substantive impact on exports and foreign exchange earnings.
3. Regional context
Papua New Guinea’s foreign minister said in July that the country had decided to close Taiwan’s representative office immediately, though it remained open in the interim. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Papua New Guinea’s actions reflected China’s use of political pressure and economic influence; Beijing views Taiwan as its territory, a position Taiwan rejects.
