World

Taiwan refuses to move liaison office out of South African capital

TAIPEI, Taiwan: Taiwan has rejected South Africa’s request to move its representative office from the capital, Pretoria, to Johannesburg, the country’s commercial hub.

This move is seen as part of China’s ongoing effort to diplomatically isolate Taiwan.

At a press conference, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Jeff Liu, emphasized that South Africa’s demand to relocate or close the office violates a 1997 agreement between the two sides, which had been established following the severance of formal diplomatic relations.

“Faced with this unreasonable demand, we cannot accept it,” Liu said, reaffirming Taiwan’s stance. He added that the office, located in Pretoria, is Taiwanese property, and Taipei maintains the right to determine its location and status.

South Africa maintains a liaison office in Taipei, and both countries have a strong commercial relationship, despite not having formal diplomatic ties. These offices act as de facto embassies, representing the interests of both sides in the absence of official relations, which were broken when South Africa shifted its recognition from Taiwan to China.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has long pressured countries worldwide to downgrade their ties with Taiwan, aiming to restrict its international representation. Taiwan, however, maintains informal but robust relations with countries like the U.S. and several major nations. In Africa, Taiwan has only five such representative offices, as China’s influence in the continent grows through large-scale infrastructure projects.

The situation mirrors a similar case in 2017, when Nigeria ordered Taiwan’s office to relocate from the capital, Abuja, to Lagos, a demand Taiwan complied with. However, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has asserted that the country is prepared to handle any consequences stemming from the current standoff with South Africa.

The issue has also drawn attention in the U.S., where Senator Marsha Blackburn has criticized South Africa’s actions.

“I am calling on … the Biden administration to make it clear that there will be consequences if South Africa works with the (Chinese Communist Party) to bully Taiwan,” including removing South Africa from a key trade program, Blackburn said.

“The United States must not provide trade benefits to countries that prioritize China’s influence over democratic partnerships,” she added.

It remains unclear whether South Africa will proceed with shutting down Taiwan’s office if it refuses to relocate. Still, Taiwan has made clear its determination to resist pressure from China’s diplomatic maneuvers.

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