U.S. senator criticizes South Africa for pressuring Taiwan to relocate office

Washington, Nov. 1 (CNA) U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday criticized South Africa for pressuring Taiwan to relocate its representative office in Pretoria, urging the African country to reconsider its request.

In a statement, Cardin also slammed China for mischaracterizing United Nations Resolution 2758 as requiring other countries to downgrade ties or cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

On Oct. 17, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the South African government had issued an instruction in April for the relocation of its representative office in the capital Pretoria before the end of October.

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement released on Oct. 18 that the severing of diplomatic ties with Taiwan was "consistent with resolution 2758 of the U.N. General Assembly, which is widely adhered to by the international community."

"The South African government's directive to Taiwan to close its liaison office in Pretoria is deeply concerning and represents a departure from the standard practice for countries that maintain an informal relationship with Taiwan," Cardin said.

"In addition, the reference made to U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 risks lending credibility to the People's Republic of China's calculated mischaracterization of the nature and history of Resolution 2758, which not only isolates Taiwan further but also undermines its security, potentially setting a troubling precedent for others to follow," Cardin added.

Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th U.N. General Assembly in 1971 to solve the issue of China's representation in the U.N. system. It ultimately led to the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name) withdrawing from the U.N. and the People's Republic of China (PRC) taking its place.

The resolution, passed on Oct. 25, 1971, recognizes the PRC as the "only lawful representative of China."

Cardin said Resolution 2758 only addressed the matter of China's representation at the U.N., while it did not define the status of Taiwan, nor did it dictate any country's sovereign decisions on its ties with Taiwan.

"I strongly urge South Africa to reconsider its actions. The global community must stand united against the Chinese Communist Party's coercive tactics regarding sovereign nations' treatment of Taiwan and its deliberate distortion of international statements and resolutions to undermine Taiwan's support around the world."

After Taiwan repeatedly made clear it would not relocate its de facto embassy as "unilaterally demanded" by South Africa, MOFA said on Oct. 29 that South Africa was willing to engage in talks on "bilateral relations going forward" through existing channels.

South Africa previously set the deadline of Oct. 30 for the relocation of the office.

In addition, six U.S. House representatives -- Andy Ogles, Tom Tiffany, Joe Wilson, Chuck Fleischmann, John Rose and Don Bacon -- wrote a joint letter to President Joe Biden on Tuesday, encouraging the administration to reevaluate South Africa's preferential benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provide eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty free access to the U.S. market in exchange for prioritizing free markets and rule of law.

The U.S. lawmakers said in recent years, South Africa has "consistently failed to demonstrate a consistent fidelity to the rule of law and routinely takes measures to undermine our nation's vital security interests."