China's embassy in Papua New Guinea has asserted that a 32kg object discovered in a shipping container, which some reports identified as a suspected artillery shell, is actually a novelty wine bottle and poses no danger. The claim comes after Papua New Guinea police arrested four Chinese nationals when the object was found at a construction site in the capital, Port Moresby.
Police Commissioner David Manning described the find as "a very concerning discovery," and local reports indicated that authorities were investigating whether it was a live device. Explosive disposal experts examined the object and moved it to a secure facility. The Post-Courier newspaper reported that Papua New Guinea police rejected suggestions the object was merely a dummy.
Earlier reports, citing unnamed sources, identified the item as an unexploded Chinese Type 59 130mm artillery projectile containing explosives and a fuse. However, the Chinese embassy dismissed these reports in a Facebook post, stating it was a "shell-shaped wine bottle" and that it was "virtually impossible" for such a military item to be smuggled from China, given the country's strict controls on firearms.
The explanation has met with skepticism online, with users questioning the weight of a wine bottle and noting the absence of any identifying labels. The incident occurs amid a period of heightened geopolitical competition between China and Western nations for influence in Pacific island nations like Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea signed a defense agreement with Australia in October of the previous year and also announced the closure of the Taipei Economic Office in Port Moresby. Australia has continued to pursue cooperation agreements with other regional nations.