Port Moresby:Taipei Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has commenced the withdrawal of all diplomatic and technical mission personnel from Papua New Guinea (PNG) following a directive to close its representative office.

According to Focus Taiwan, the withdrawal will see several staff members remain temporarily in PNG to oversee the closure, while all other diplomatic personnel and workers with the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund will depart. MOFA has assured that embassies and representative offices in neighboring countries will provide support and consular services to approximately 100 Taiwanese nationals in PNG, with assistance from the Overseas Community Affairs Council.

Official vehicles, equipment, and other movable assets will be inventoried, auctioned, or transferred according to property management regulations. The representative office, initially established in 1990, is set to close after PNG's government renewed demands for the departure of personnel from the Taipei Economic Office in Port Moresby. The directive was officially communicated by PNG's Department of Foreign Affairs to Taiwan's representative, Chiu Chen-yu, requiring him and First Secretary Lee Chung-nun to leave within seven days, while diplomat Pan Shao-jyun will remain to finalize the closure over the next year.

MOFA has stated that a comprehensive review and adjustment of bilateral ties will be conducted, taking into account national dignity, diplomatic autonomy, and overall national interests. The closure comes after PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko's demand in July, based on PNG's adherence to the "one China" policy. Despite the immediate closure announcement, Taiwan maintained operations at the office and later suspended spot purchases of liquefied natural gas from PNG in response to the closure order.