The Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea denied reports of a suspicious 32-kilogram object resembling a Chinese-made artillery shell found inside a container and a construction site in Papua New Guinea. The embassy confirmed it was only a "wine bottle designed in the shape of a shell" and harmless. Meanwhile, Australian media reported that X-ray scans identified the object as a real artillery shell containing explosives and a fuse.
The Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea posted on Facebook that the object found was a "wine bottle shaped like a bullet" and affirmed that "it poses no danger whatsoever." However, this explanation led many social media users to express doubt and disbelief.
Earlier, police in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, arrested four Chinese nationals on 30 October after discovering a suspicious 32-kilogram object inside a shipping container at a construction site. Authorities were investigating whether the object was a functional explosive device. Police Commissioner David Manning described the find as highly concerning.
Australia's ABC television reported, citing anonymous sources, that the object was a 130-millimeter Type 59 artillery shell produced in China, which had not been detonated and contained chemical explosives and a fuse. The BBC has not independently verified this information.
The ABC report also stated that the object was identified through X-ray equipment donated by Australia to Papua New Guinea’s National Police Service. Meanwhile, the local Post Courier newspaper earlier reported that Papua New Guinea police denied speculation that the object was a dummy shell or a fake item.
The Chinese Embassy stated it was nearly impossible for illegal military artillery shells to be smuggled out of China to Papua New Guinea. It emphasized that China enforces some of the world’s strictest gun control laws and is widely recognized as one of the safest countries globally.
The Chinese Embassy also said it was continuously updating local police on the incident and awaiting the results of the official investigation.
China’s explanation that the object was a wine bottle sparked ridicule on social media. One Facebook user questioned, "What kind of wine bottle weighs 32 kilograms?" Another noted that the object bore no label or mark indicating it was a wine bottle, sarcastically calling it the most explosive wine bottle ever seen and criticizing the Chinese government for not lying more convincingly.
A Chinese social media user commented that after deceiving people domestically, China was now trying to deceive foreigners as well.
This dispute arises amid competition between China and the United States to expand influence in the Pacific region. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a delegation from Pacific island nations visiting China last month that China’s relations with countries in the region are not part of geopolitical competition. He described China’s cooperation with Pacific island countries as South-South cooperation based on mutual support and assistance.
In September, China and Papua New Guinea celebrated the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, shortly after Papua New Guinea had closed its office in Taiwan a few months earlier.
China praised Papua New Guinea and expressed readiness to continue working together to support each other on issues related to core interests and major concerns of both countries. China reiterated that Taiwan, which governs itself, is part of Chinese sovereignty and has never ruled out using force to bring Taiwan back under Chinese control.