Taiwan Cuts Papua New Guinea LNG Buys After Office Row

Taiwan said on July 28 that it has reduced liquefied natural gas purchases from Papua New Guinea after Port Moresby moved to shut down Taipei's representative office.

Michael Lin, head of Taiwan's foreign ministry Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said Taiwan's spot purchases of LNG from Papua New Guinea had stopped. He said the government was also looking at whether state-owned CPC Corporation should halt purchases under existing supply contracts.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs said it would comply with the decision if energy security and stable gas supplies were ensured. The ministry said Papua New Guinea's share of Taiwan's gas imports would be reduced as Taiwan diversifies supply sources.

Official figures cited by Taiwan showed Papua New Guinea supplied 8% of Taiwan's natural gas imports in 2025, compared with 34% from Qatar, 33% from Australia and 10% from the United States.

Papua New Guinea has formal diplomatic relations with China but had allowed Taiwan to operate a representative office in Port Moresby. Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko's office announced the office closure in a statement dated July 15, saying the decision reflected the country's One-China Policy.

Taiwan rejected the closure decision and said it had been made without prior consultation. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island's participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries, welcomed Papua New Guinea's move.

Tkatchenko previously told AFP that the decision to close Taipei's office did not affect commercial contracts between CPC Corporation and Papua New Guinea's LNG exporter, PNG LNG.

Lin said Taiwan's office in Port Moresby remained operational. He said Taiwan's technical mission and other aid efforts had not been affected, but that the government would review its policy on a rolling basis pending Papua New Guinea's response.