Moving Taiwan office out of Pretoria ‘standard diplomatic practice’: South Africa

By Hassan Isilow

South Africa defended its decision Friday to order Taiwan to move its representative office outside the capital, Pretoria, as “standard diplomatic practice.”

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it notes with concern the mischaracterization of its engagements with the Taipei Liaison Office (TLO).

Taipei-based Taiwan News reported Thursday that South Africa ordered Taiwan to move the office from Pretoria by the end of October and threatened to close it if Taipei did not comply.

“South Africa’s democratic Government severed political and diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997. This is consistent with resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly, which is widely adhered to by the international community,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Chrispin Phiri said in a statement. The resolution transferred China’s seat at the UN from Taiwan to China.

The ministry said it gave the Taiwanese office in Pretoria six months to make the move, which was equally communicated via the South African Liaison Office (SALO) in Taipei by South Africa’s representative to the territory.

Pretoria said Taiwan’s representative office will now be renamed as the trade office and moved to Johannesburg -- South Africa’s largest city and economic commercial hub.

“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 said.

China and South Africa last month upgraded their relationship to an “all-round strategic cooperative partnership.”

China lauded South Africa on Friday for pushing Taiwan’s representative office out of Pretoria, state media reported.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing that it appreciated South Africa's correct decision to move Taipei’s office.

China claims Taiwan as its “breakaway province,” and expects its diplomatic allies to have no official contact with Taipei.

While Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949, the number of its diplomatic allies dropped to 12 in 2024.

Taiwan may retaliate by issuing restrictive visa measures to South Africans and cut back on educational exchanges among others, according to Taipei media reports.