TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Senator Ted Cruz on Tuesday vowed to investigate South Africa's demand that Taiwan relocate its representative office.
In a post on X, Cruz reposted a Reuters article reporting that South Africa has set the end of March as a deadline for the Taipei Liaison Office to move out of Pretoria. Cruz remarked, “The South African government seems to be going out of their way to alienate the United States and our allies.”
Cruz said the “timeline to expel our Taiwanese allies from Pretoria is deeply troubling.” He added this action “undermines the national security interests of America and our allies, and will deepen tensions between the US and South Africa.”
The senator vowed to use his post as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy to “investigate these and other concerning decisions by South Africa.”
On Oct. 7, the South African government demanded the Taipei Liaison Office vacate its location in Pretoria by the end of the month. However, on Oct. 29, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) said that South Africa had shown a willingness to negotiate.
In late January, South Africa again demanded the office be moved and set the end of March as the deadline. MOFA said South Africa has attempted to downgrade the representative office and recategorize it as a trade office.
The ministry said the new demand “shows China’s suppression of Taiwan in South Africa has intensified.”
The ministry reiterated that Taiwan rejects South Africa’s unilateral breach of bilateral agreements. The ministry said Taiwan will continue to communicate with South Africa based on the principles of equality and dignity.
Also on Tuesday, US Senator Marsha Blackburn said the US must support Taiwan in standing up to South African pressure over the representative office. She then warned, "As I previously stated, if South Africa works with the CCP to bully Taiwan, the United States must consider serious consequences, including removal of South Africa from the AGOA trade program."
