Chinese authorities have dismissed reports that a suspected China-made artillery shell was found in a commercial shipping container in Papua New Guinea, asserting it is a "shell-shaped wine bottle."
"It poses no danger at all," the Chinese embassy stated in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Police in Port Moresby had arrested four Chinese nationals last Friday after the 32-kilogram object was discovered at a construction site in the capital. Authorities were investigating whether the device was live, according to local reports, with police commissioner David Manning calling it "a very concerning discovery."
Earlier reports cited unnamed sources identifying the object as an undetonated 130mm Chinese Type 59 Artillery Projectile. Papua New Guinea police had previously dismissed speculation that the object was "merely a dummy."
The Chinese embassy stated that it is "virtually impossible" for an illegal military-grade artillery shell to be smuggled out of China to Papua New Guinea. "China enforces some of the world's strictest firearm control laws and regulations," it added, calling China "widely recognised as one of the safest countries globally."
Some social media users expressed skepticism, questioning the weight of a wine bottle and the absence of any identifying labels.