Papua New Guinea closes "Taipei Economic Office", reaffirms one-China policy

Papua New Guinea's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Justin Tkatchenko, recently posted a statement on social media reaffirming his government's steadfast adherence to the one-China policy and announcing the closure of the "Taipei Economic Office", calling the decision a significant step toward strengthening bilateral trust with the People's Republic of China.

The statement said that Papua New Guinea deeply values its long-standing, strong partnership with China. The National Government looks forward to exploring new avenues of strategic cooperation, expanded trade, and mutual socio-economic development that will bring lasting, tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations, it said.

Multiple mainstream media outlets in Papua New Guinea have republished the government's announcement.

Papua New Guinea established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 1976 and has long adhered to the one-China policy. In recent years, political mutual trust between China and Papua New Guinea has continued to deepen, and economic and trade cooperation has steadily grown. China has remained one of Papua New Guinea's most important trading partners for many consecutive years.

Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) updated the death toll of the recent magnitude-7.5 earthquake on Sunday, noting that as of 07:30 of the day, the disaster had caused 289 deaths and 4,187 injuries.

The death toll was revised down by five from the previous day's figure, but the agency did not explain the reason yet.

According to the updated data, 143 people remained missing and another 354 were rescued in the earthquake.

The UNGRD of Colombia also reported that the disaster had affected 120,238 families, or 185,016 people. It also reported that 66 buildings had collapsed, while 26,945 homes were destroyed and 127,557 others damaged.

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Colombia at 07:34 Monday local time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The quake severely hit 32 cities across the nation.