China Disputes Reports of Artillery Shell Found in Papua New Guinea

What changed

Chinese authorities have disputed reports that a 32kg object found at a construction site in Port Moresby was a Chinese artillery shell. The Chinese embassy called it a shell-shaped wine bottle and said it posed no danger.

Four Chinese nationals were arrested after the object was found last Friday. Papua New Guinea police investigated whether it was a live device; Australian media later cited unnamed sources identifying it as an undetonated 130mm Chinese Type 59 artillery projectile.

Why it matters

The central question is still basic but serious: what exactly was found at the site? The object could be an explosive military projectile, a bottle, or another device, and the reason it was there remains unclear.

That uncertainty puts Papua New Guinea authorities in the awkward position of investigating a potentially dangerous object while Beijing publicly insists there is no danger. The embassy’s explanation has already drawn skeptical comments, including questions about how a wine bottle could weigh 32kg or have no wine-bottle markings.

The arrests add another unresolved layer. They establish that the discovery triggered police action, but not why the four men were detained or whether their arrests are connected to the object. Until Papua New Guinea authorities identify it publicly, the competing descriptions will remain the story.