Taiwan Rejects South Africa’s Call to Relocate Representative Office From Pretoria To Johannesburg

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Taiwan has rejected a request from South Africa to move its representative office from Pretoria, the capital, to Johannesburg, the country’s commercial hub. The decision, announced by Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, reflects a firm stance against what Taiwan views as a violation of a 1997 bilateral agreement.

During a recent press conference, Jeff Liu, spokesperson for Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, expressed the government’s dissatisfaction with South Africa’s demand. “The South African government’s demands have violated the 1997 agreement between Taiwan and South Africa, which stipulates that both parties can set up offices in each other’s country. Our side will never accept the unreasonable demands of the South African government,” Liu asserted.

This development is seen as part of Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to push back against China’s attempts to diplomatically isolate the self-governed island. Taiwan’s resistance is particularly relevant as it faces increasing pressure from China, which has sought to limit Taiwan’s international recognition and diplomatic influence.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, addressing Taiwan’s legislature, reinforced Taiwan’s readiness to handle any challenges related to the demand. Both Lin and Liu emphasized that the office is Taiwanese property and that Taiwan reserves the right to determine its location and status.

Fan Chen-Kuo, director of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, called the South African government’s request both “unreasonable and illegal,” and noted that Taiwan’s position is shared by many democratic nations worldwide.Taiwan Rejects South Africa's Call to Relocate Representative Office From Pretoria To Johannesburg

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Despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Taiwan and South Africa, the two countries maintain strong commercial ties. South Africa’s liaison office in Taipei serves as an unofficial embassy, reflecting this ongoing relationship. The offices, though not formally recognized as embassies, play a key role in sustaining economic exchanges between the two nations, a situation that stems from South Africa’s decision in 1997 to recognize China instead of Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to annex the island. With China’s growing influence, especially across Africa through infrastructure projects, Taiwan has found itself increasingly isolated. Taiwan operates missions in several major countries, but in Africa, it has only five, highlighting China’s dominance in the region.

The situation mirrors a similar case in 2017 when Nigeria requested Taiwan to move its liaison office from Abuja, the administrative capital, to Lagos, the commercial hub—a request Taiwan complied with. South Africa’s recent request, announced last week, is widely perceived as a concession to China. Over the years, China has successfully leveraged its influence to exclude Taiwan from key international organizations, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization, limiting its formal diplomatic relationships to just 11 countries and the Vatican.

As tensions rise, Taiwan’s refusal to relocate its office highlights the broader geopolitical struggle between Taiwan’s quest for global recognition and China’s efforts to tighten its diplomatic grip.

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