Taiwan has once again declined South Africa’s demand to transfer its representative office from Pretoria to Johannesburg.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu stated that the request to move or shut down the office entirely contradicts a 1997 agreement that established the locations of their respective representative offices after formal diplomatic relations were severed. “We cannot agree to such an unreasonable demand,” Liu declared.
Despite the ongoing disagreement, South Africa continues to operate a liaison office in Taipei, with both countries enjoying strong commercial relations.
In response to the situation, Liu reiterated Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung’s remarks from a recent legislative session, emphasizing that Taiwan is “prepared for any scenario” regarding the issue. He further asserted that the office belongs to Taiwan, and its location is solely under Taipei’s jurisdiction.
China, which regards Taiwan as its territory and has stated it will annex the island by force if necessary, persistently seeks to reduce Taiwan’s international presence. Despite these efforts, Taiwan maintains robust unofficial relations with major countries, including the United States.
Last week, South Africa confirmed it had requested the relocation of Taiwan’s office, a demand interpreted as a concession to Chinese influence. China has been active in limiting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization, restricting its formal diplomatic partners to just 11 countries and the Vatican.
In addition to diplomatic and economic pressure, China has increased military threats against Taiwan, recently conducting large-scale live-fire drills near its Fujian province, which faces Taiwan.