On Friday, South Africa’s government announced its request for Taiwan to relocate its de facto embassy from Pretoria, a move that Taiwan claims is a result of pressure from China. In response, South Africa dismissed these allegations, asserting that the action is a standard diplomatic practice following the severance of political and diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997.
The Taipei Liaison Office in Pretoria will be rebranded as a Trade Office and relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa’s commercial hub. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation stated that this change reflects the non-political nature of the relationship between South Africa and Taiwan, and it has given the office six months to complete the move.
As South Africa’s largest trading partner, China is seeking to enhance cooperation with the nation in various sectors, including renewable energy. However, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry expressed concerns that the growing ties between South Africa and China threaten its own relationship with South Africa. It warned that if the South African government continues to yield to Chinese pressure, it will explore all possible responses to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity.
Taiwan, which has formal diplomatic relations with only a handful of countries, mainly smaller and less developed nations, maintains that it rejects China’s sovereignty claims and does not recognize Beijing’s authority to represent the island internationally. Meanwhile, China welcomed South Africa’s decision, commending it as a “correct” move to relocate the Taipei Liaison Office from Pretoria.
