Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維)

Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) Taiwan's trade mission in Nigeria will be relocated to Lagos in two weeks, Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) said Wednesday, after it was ordered to move out of the capital Abuja months ago by Nigeria's government, reportedly under Chinese pressure.

"Our staff in the mission is currently packing and will move the office to Lagos later this week or next week," Lee told reporters on the sideline of a Legislative hearing.

Once the relocation is completed, Lee said his ministry will ask the Nigeria Trade Office in Taiwan to move to another location as well as a retaliatory measure.

The Nigerian government ordered Taiwan in January to move its office from the capital, change the name of the office to remove the title "Republic of China (Taiwan)" and cut office staff.

China's Foreign Ministry later lauded the move, saying that it showed the African country's "staunch support" of the "one-China" principle that sees Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China.

Nigeria also demanded on March 31 that the trade office's director, Morgan Chao (趙家寶), leave the country, as it could not guarantee his safety. Chao has since returned to Taiwan.

Then, on June 30, Nigeria sent military personnel to seal off the trade office and force staff there to leave.

In response, Taiwan has also twice summoned the acting director of Nigeria's trade office in Taipei to protest the African country's series of moves against Taiwan's interests and will ask the office to move out of Taipei based on the principles of equality and dignity, according to the MOFA.

(By Joseph Yeh)
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