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The South African government has given Taiwan a deadline until the end of March to relocate the island’s de facto embassy from the capital city of Pretoria, according to the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry, which blamed Chinese pressure for the move.
South Africa severed official diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997 and now only maintains formal, close relations with China, which views the democratically governed island as part of its territory, with no right to the privileges of a state.
In a statement, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said South Africa’s government had sent a letter in January, demanding the de facto Taiwanese embassy leave Pretoria before the end of March and be “renamed as a trade office.”
China’s foreign ministry stated that South Africa was a “good friend and partner” of China, and the country was simply upholding the “One China Principle,” which asserts that Taiwan is part of China.
“Taiwan independence does not enjoy popular support and will fail,” the ministry said in a statement to Reuters.
South Africa made a request last year for the Taipei Liaison Office to leave Pretoria.
A spokesperson for South Africa’s foreign ministry told Reuters, “Our department is coordinating with the Taipei Liaison Office regarding administrative matters related to accurately representing its diplomatic classification in South Africa.”
China is South Africa’s largest trading partner globally, and the country is looking to expand cooperation in areas such as renewable energy.
Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says it has a right to forge ties with other countries.
Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only 12 countries, and in Africa, it has just one ally remaining: Eswatini, which is almost surrounded by South Africa.
(NAN)
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