TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has reiterated its demand for Taiwan to move its representative office out of Pretoria by the end of March.
Taiwan suspects that the Chinese embassy in Pretoria is pressuring the South African government to expel its Taipei Liaison Office from the capital, South African newspaper Daily Maverick reported.
The Chinese embassy may be concerned about the Democratic Alliance (DA) joining the African National Congress in the Government of National Unity last year, as the DA has been a strong supporter of Taiwan.
South Africa initially requested Taiwan relocate its office by October last year, but Taiwan refused. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider appropriate countermeasures, including requesting South Africa’s office in Taipei to relocate or implementing stricter visa application reviews for South African citizens.
DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri previously stated that moving the offices and rebranding them as trade offices in both Taipei and Johannesburg would be “standard diplomatic practice” and a more accurate reflection of the “non-political and non-diplomatic nature” of South Africa-Taiwan relations.
South Africa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997 but maintains the Liaison Office of South Africa in Taipei.