Recently, the South African government once again forced Taiwan to relocate its office. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China explained that negotiations between South Africa and Taiwan are ongoing, but South Africa has once again requested the Taiwan office to move out of the capital within a specified period. This shows that the Chinese Communist Party’s pressure on Taiwan has escalated, and the Ministry will continue to communicate with the South African government based on the principles of equality and dignity.
Last year, due to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party, South Africa demanded that Taiwan’s office in South Africa relocate from the capital Pretoria. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China previously stated that based on the principle of equality, it was exploring all possible response plans to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity. Subsequently, South Africa voluntarily withdrew the relocation deadline set for October 30 last year. However, South African media recently reported that the second-largest political party in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance (DA), faced sanctions from the Chinese government after its federal chairman visited Taiwan. South Africa has continued to increase pressure on Taiwan, requesting the Taiwan office to relocate from the capital by the end of March this year.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China pointed out, “Since October 2024, through diplomatic channels, we have continued to communicate and understand South Africa’s views on the future bilateral relationship with Taiwan under the principles of equality and dignity, while firmly maintaining our position of not accepting unilateral changes to the status quo. The South African government once again wrote to our Taiwan office at the end of January this year, requesting our office to move out of the capital Pretoria by the end of March this year, even attempting to downgrade our office and rename it as the ‘Trade Office.'”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated that the recent visit of Ivan Meyer, the federal chairman of the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party, to Taiwan led to sanctions imposed by the Chinese government. “Although the South African government is still negotiating with our country, it has once again requested our Taiwan office to relocate from the capital within a specified period, showing that the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression of Taiwan in South Africa has intensified.”
In response to South Africa’s latest demand for Taiwan to relocate within a deadline, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu immediately convened an emergency response team upon receiving the notification from the foreign office. During the holiday period, he maintained constant communication with relevant colleagues domestically and internationally. He also instructed the Director-General of the Department of West Asian and African Affairs, Allen Ho, to immediately meet with the new South African Representative to Taiwan, Zakhele Mnisi, and express the government’s deep concerns.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China reiterated, “The government’s stance on not accepting the South African government’s unilateral violation of bilateral agreements remains unchanged, and we will continue to communicate with the South African government based on the principles of equality and dignity. Depending on the response from the South African government, we will determine the appropriate response based on our relevant plans. Any developments will be communicated to the public and the media in due course.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China once again solemnly urged the South African government, as the host of this year’s G20 summit, to abide by the legal framework of the bilateral relations established in 1997. Before consensus is reached between Taiwan and South Africa, the South African government should not take any coercive measures against the office of the Republic of China or any actions that may interfere with the operation of the office and services to the diaspora.
According to reports from the Central News Agency, at the end of 1997, South Africa cut diplomatic ties with the Republic of China and recognized the People’s Republic of China. However, it agreed to allow Taiwan to continue to establish an official institution in Pretoria under the name of the “Taipei Liaison Office,” equivalent to an embassy. Both sides maintained normal exchanges for 26 years until 2024 when South Africa first demanded that Taiwan relocate its office from the capital.
On January 30, the “Daily Maverick” reported that after the general election in July last year, the Democratic Alliance became the second-largest governing partner in South Africa’s first-ever united cabinet, the Government of National Unity (GNU), with 12 seats in 32 ministries. The Democratic Alliance has always been friendly towards Taiwan, raising concerns for the Chinese government.
Lee Chong Wei, a Taiwanese city councilor in Pretoria affiliated with the Democratic Alliance, told the Central News Agency that China is highly sensitive to any actions that appear to recognize Taiwan. He cited an example where after the Democratic Alliance won the mayoral election in 2016, he accompanied the mayor on a visit to Taipei and rekindled the sister city relationship established in 1983. In response, several overseas Chinese groups were mobilized to write to local media protesting South Africa’s non-compliance with the “One China Policy,” leading to the reassignment of the Chinese Ambassador in South Africa at that time.