Taiwan Defies South Africa’s Demand to Relocate Representative Office

Taiwan has rejected South Africa’s demand to relocate its representative office from the capital, Pretoria, to Johannesburg, citing a 1997 agreement regarding the location of their mutual offices. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry stated that the demand was unreasonable and part of China’s ongoing efforts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan. South Africa’s demand mirrors a similar occurrence in Nigeria in 2017, which saw Taiwan relocate its liaison office from the nation’s administrative capital, Abuja, to Lagos. Taiwan sees South Africa’s move as a concession to China, which has intensified pressure on Taiwan globally, and its refusal to comply is its latest pushback against China’s moves to diplomatically isolate it. According to a spokesperson for Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, the representative office is Taiwanese property and Taipei retains the right to determine its location and status. It remains unclear whether South Africa will follow through on its threat to close the office if the relocation demand is not met.

SOURCE: AP NEWS