Beijing welcomes Papua New Guinea's decision to close its trade office in Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2023) Beijing welcomes Papua New Guinea's decision to close its trade office in Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said that the country's trade office on the island of Taiwan would be closed due to a lack of economic feasibility.
"We appreciate and applaud the Papua New Guinea government's announcement of closing the Papua New Guinea Trade Office in Taiwan," Wand told a briefing.
The spokesman added that the move once again demonstrated the adherence of the international community to the One China principle.
The situation around Taiwan escalated after then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Despite this fact, several countries, including France, the US, Japan and others, have since sent their delegations to the island, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan � a territory with its own elected government � maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.
