China has asserted that a 32kg object discovered in Papua New Guinea, initially suspected to be an artillery shell, is actually a wine bottle and poses no threat. The object was found in a commercial shipping container at a construction site in the capital, Port Moresby, leading to the arrest of four Chinese nationals.
Papua New Guinea's Police Commissioner David Manning described the find as "a very concerning discovery," and local reports indicated authorities were investigating whether it was a live device. Police and military explosive disposal experts examined the object before it was moved to a secure facility. Papua New Guinea police reportedly rejected suggestions that the item was a dummy, according to the Post-Courier newspaper.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, citing unnamed sources, had identified the item as an unexploded Chinese Type 59 130mm artillery projectile containing explosives and a fuse, though this identification has not been independently verified.
In response to the reports, China's embassy posted on Facebook, stating the object was a "shell-shaped wine bottle." The embassy further argued that it was "virtually impossible" for an illegal military-grade artillery shell to be smuggled from China to Papua New Guinea, highlighting China's strict controls on firearms. Online skepticism was raised regarding the weight of a 32-kilogram wine bottle, with some users also noting the absence of any wine bottle labels on the object.
The incident occurs amidst a geopolitical competition for influence in the Pacific island region between China and Western nations. Papua New Guinea has recently signed defense agreements with Australia and also announced the closure of the Taipei Economic Office in Port Moresby.