Weapon or wine bottle? China disputes reports of artillery shell in Papua New Guinea

What the report says

Chinese authorities have rejected reports that a heavy object found in Papua New Guinea was a China-made artillery shell, describing it instead as a “shell-shaped wine bottle.” The dispute follows the discovery of a 32kg item at a construction site in Port Moresby, the Papua New Guinea capital, where police initially treated it as a potentially dangerous device. Four Chinese nationals were arrested last Friday while authorities examined the object, according to the BBC’s account of local reporting.

Papua New Guinea police had already pushed back against suggestions that the item was only a dummy, while the local police commissioner had described it as a troubling find. A later report cited unnamed sources claiming it could be an undetonated 130mm Chinese artillery projectile containing explosives and a fuse, but the BBC said it had not independently confirmed that description. The Chinese embassy in Port Moresby disputed that version, saying it would be virtually impossible for an illegal military-grade shell to leave China and reach Papua New Guinea.

The case has drawn attention because it sits at the intersection of public safety, customs enforcement and diplomatic sensitivity. Based on the material available, the object’s exact nature remains unresolved, and the differing claims from local authorities and Chinese officials highlight the uncertainty surrounding the discovery.