Taiwan no plan to relocate South African office despite request: FM

Taipei, Oct. 21 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Monday that the ministry has informed the South African government it will not relocate Taiwan's representative office in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, before the end of October as requested.

"Our office is still in operation and will stay in the capital," Lin told lawmakers during a legislative session.

The minister accused the South African government of unilaterally violating an agreement it signed with Taipei in 1997, after Pretoria announced in December 1996 its intention to establish relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The agreement stipulates Taiwan will continue to operate a liaison office in Pretoria despite the end of official diplomatic ties. South Africa is also allowed to have a presence in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, according to Lin.

South Africa is legally bound to follow the agreement, he said, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has made its stance clear to the African government.

Lin's remarks came after MOFA confirmed last week that the South African government called on Taiwan to relocate its representative office in Pretoria before the end of October, allegedly due to pressure from China.

MOFA told CNA that it was still trying to persuade the South African government to withdraw its request, as such a move would be detrimental to the current cordial bilateral exchanges in trade, education and technology between Taiwan and South Africa.

After South Africa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in January 1998, the latter established a representative office in Pretoria under the name Taipei Liaison Office in the Republic of South Africa.

Taiwan also has a branch office in Cape Town called Taipei Liaison Office.

Meanwhile, there is a Liaison Office of South Africa in Taipei.

According to Lin, the South African government first asked the Taipei office in Pretoria to relocate last year following a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the 2023 BRICS summit.

In September, Beijing hosted the annual China-Africa Cooperation Forum, attended by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. On those occasions, "China continued to exert pressure," Lin said.

In April, South Africa officially asked the Taipei office to leave its capital city before the end of October.

It sent an ultimatum to the Taipei office on Oct. 7, indicating that the office must move out of Pretoria before the end of October, or it would be forced to close. The issue was "non-negotiable," it said.

Over the past months, Lin said many like-minded countries including the United States, Japan, and the Czech Republic have tried to convince the South African government to reverse its decision.

South African political leaders and some media also voiced concerns over the decision, according to Lin.

While the current South African government is a coalition, some lawmakers have said they were unhappy with its decision regarding Taiwan, accusing it of failing to consult with all coalition members beforehand.

Lin said he still hopes the South African government, as a democratic country with the rule of law, will follow the agreement signed with Taipei.

However, the minister also said Taipei has prepared contingency plans if the office is forced to leave Pretoria by the deadline, including asking the South African office in Taiwan to relocate out of Taipei.

In an Oct. 18 press statement, South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation said its request that the Taipei office leave Pretoria is "consistent with resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly, which is widely adhered to by the international community."

"Relocating what will be rebranded as Trade Offices both in Taipei and in Johannesburg, which is standard diplomatic practice, will be a true reflection of the non-political and non-diplomatic nature of the relationship between the Republic of South Africa and Taiwan."

It also noted it has provided "a reasonable six months to make the move."

Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th United Nations General Assembly in 1971 to address the issue of China's representation in the world body and resulted in the Republic of China (Taiwan) losing its seat at the U.N. to the PRC.