Taiwan rejects request to move ‘embassy’ from South African capital
Taiwan has no plans to move its unofficial embassy in the South African capital, Pretoria, despite being asked to do so by the local government, Taipei’s foreign minister has said, according to the region’s Central News Agency (CNA).
The remarks on Monday by senior diplomat Lin Chia-lung come after the South African government said it had given Taipei a “reasonable” six-month timeframe to relocate its “liaison office” to the commercial hub of Johannesburg.
“Relocating what will be rebranded as Trade Offices both in Taipei and in Johannesburg, which is standard diplomatic practice, will be a true reflection of the non-political and non-diplomatic nature of the relationship between the Republic of South Africa and Taiwan,” Pretoria’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
Speaking at a legislative session, Foreign Minister Lin claimed Pretoria’s decision violates a 1997 agreement between the two governments to maintain liaison offices in each other’s capitals despite the termination of official diplomatic ties.
Lin said South African authorities first requested that the Taipei office be relocated last year, after Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the BRICS Summit. According to him, “China continued to exert pressure” following the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, which South African President Cyril Ramaphosa participated in last month.
Beijing considers the self-governing island an inalienable part of China. The Taiwanese government said it has been given until the end of October to relocate the office. It has threatened to close South Africa’s own liaison office in Taipei if negotiations fail.
Africa’s most developed economy, however, has stated that the move “aligns with standard diplomatic practice that capital cities are the seats of foreign embassies and high commissions.”
The row comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and Taiwan, which celebrated the founding of its government this month while rejecting Chinese claims of sovereignty.
“We appreciate South Africa’s correct decision to relocate the Taipei liaison office out of its administrative capital, Pretoria. Taiwan independence is unpopular and doomed to failure,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters on Friday.
The Chinese government opened its embassy in South Africa in 1998, a year after Pretoria broke off formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Beijing and Pretoria are both members of the BRICS group, which will meet in Russia this week for its annual summit.
