China appreciates Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s decision to close the Taipei economic office in the country, which once again demonstrates that adhering to the one-China principle is the will of the PNG government and people as well as an irresistible trend of the international community, said Chinese Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Yang Xiaoguang.
On July 15, Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced the closure of the Taipei economic office in Port Moresby, the country's capital. His statement also indicated that the decision was made in accordance with a resolution of the National Executive Council.
"The decision made by the government of Papua New Guinea, which conforms to the historical trend, fully manifests the positive will and friendly sentiment of the PNG government and its people toward advancing relations with China, and serves as a model for other countries in handling the issue of Taipei representative offices. As PNG Foreign Minister Tkatchenko put it, the decision reflects a firm commitment to developing ties with China and a steadfast adherence to the one-China principle, which is a unanimous decision made by the PNG's top leadership," said Yang.
Yang also noted that over the 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Papua New Guinea cooperation has yielded fruitful results. While applauding the PNG government's latest move, he expected the two countries to further strengthen bilateral ties and deepen cooperation in all fields.
"This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Papua New Guinea. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, our comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to mature and deepen. Bilateral cooperation in such areas as trade and economy, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, energy and mining, education, and public health has produced notable achievements, delivering concrete benefits to both countries and peoples. The decision by the Papua New Guinean government to close the 'Taipei economic office' in the country is a correct, just, and exemplary one. It will help cement the political foundation for the further growth of bilateral ties and cooperation across the board, and open up broad prospects for the China-Papua New Guinea relationship to scale new heights and expand into wider dimensions," said Yang.
PNG's closure of Taipei office underscores one-China principle as irresistible historical trend: ambassador
