The key facts
- A 32-kilogram object resembling an artillery shell was found at a construction site in Port Moresby; four Chinese nationals were detained
- Beijing's embassy calls the object a 'shell-shaped bottle' and denies the possibility of ammunition smuggling
- ABC, citing unnamed sources, says the object is an unexploded 130mm Type 59 shell; BBC has not verified this independently
The disputed object in Port Moresby
Chinese authorities have disputed reports that a suspicious Chinese-made shell was found in a commercial cargo container in Papua New Guinea, saying it is a 'shell-shaped bottle of wine'. 'It poses no danger,' the Chinese embassy wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, prompting sceptical comments from users. The story was reported by BBC News.
Detentions and theories about the object's origin
Port Moresby police detained four Chinese nationals on Friday after a 32-kilogram object was found at a construction site in the capital. At the time, authorities were checking whether it was an explosive device; police commissioner David Manning called the find 'a very concerning discovery'. On Wednesday, ABC, citing unnamed sources, reported that the object was an unexploded 130mm Chinese Type 59 artillery shell containing chemical explosive and a fuse; BBC notes it has not independently verified this information. According to the local newspaper Post Courier, Papua New Guinea police had earlier rejected suggestions that the object was 'just a dummy'.
The embassy's arguments and the reaction
The Chinese embassy said it was 'virtually impossible' to illegally take a military artillery shell out of China into Papua New Guinea, citing 'some of the strictest firearms control laws in the world' and China's reputation as 'one of the safest countries in the world'. Some Facebook users remained sceptical: one asked 'what kind of bottle of wine weighs 32 kilograms', while another noted that the object bears no labels indicating it is a bottle of wine. Thus, the question of the object's nature remains open: the versions put forward by the police, the Australian broadcaster and the Chinese embassy directly contradict one another.
Image source, PNG East New Britain Province Facebook page The 32kg object was found at a construction site in Port Moresby
