Weapon or wine bottle? China disputes reports of artillery shell in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea police had earlier dismissed speculation that the 32kg object was "merely a dummy".
**Weapon or wine bottle? China disputes reports of artillery shell in Papua New Guinea**
The 32kg object was discovered at a construction site in Port Moresby.
Chinese officials have rejected reports that a suspected China-made artillery shell was found inside a commercial shipping container in Papua New Guinea, insisting instead that it is a "shell-shaped wine bottle".
"It poses no danger at all," the Chinese embassy said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, prompting skeptical reactions.
Police in Port Moresby detained four Chinese nationals last Friday after the 32kg object was found at a construction site in the capital.
Local reports said authorities were investigating whether it was an active device, while police commissioner David Manning called it "a very concerning discovery".
In a report on Wednesday, the Australia Broadcasting Corporation cited unnamed sources who identified the object as an unexploded 130mm Chinese Type 59 Artillery Projectile containing chemical explosives and a fuse.
Papua New Guinea police had earlier rejected suggestions that the object was "merely a dummy", the local newspaper Post Courier reported.
But in its statement, the Chinese embassy said it is "virtually impossible" for an illegal military-grade artillery shell to be smuggled from China to Papua New Guinea.
"China enforces some of the world's strictest firearm control laws and regulations," it said, adding that China is "widely recognised as one of the safest countries globally".
Some Facebook users were not persuaded.
"What sort of wine bottle weighs 32 kilograms?" one wrote.
Another said the object had no labels showing that it was a wine bottle.