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

Chinese authorities have dismissed reports that a suspected China-made artillery shell was found in a commercial shipping container in Papua New Guinea, saying it is a shell-shaped wine bottle. It poses no danger at all, the Chinese embassy wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday, drawing skeptical comments. Police in Port Moresby arrested four Chinese nationals last Friday after the 32kg object was found at a construction site in the capital city. Authorities were looking into whether it was a live device, local reports said then, with police commissioner David Manning describing it as a very concerning discovery. In a report on Wednesday, the Australia Broadcasting Corporation cited unnamed sources identifying the object as an undetonated 130mm Chinese Type 59 Artillery Projectile that contains chemical explosives and a fuse.