(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan said it will not move its representative office from Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital, after accusing Beijing of pressuring South Africa to ask for a relocation.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung told lawmakers on Monday that the government is preparing for the “worst case scenario.” He urged South Africa to uphold an agreement signed in 1997 — the year that Pretoria severed ties with Taipei — which states that Taiwan will maintain its liaison office in the city.
South Africa has said that relocating what will be rebranded as Taiwan’s trade office in Johannesburg is standard diplomatic practice. This change will reflect the “non-political and non-diplomatic nature” of the relationship between the two, it added.
The South African government has been unwilling to negotiate with Taiwan on the relocation, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as they’re not authorized to speak publicly.
In the worst case scenario, South African police may expel personnel from Taiwan’s representative office, leading to its closure, the person said.
Other potential measures could include halting the issuance of visas to Taiwanese diplomats, gradually forcing the Taiwan office to withdraw from the country, according to the person.
Jeff Liu, a spokesman for Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Bloomberg News that officials are making their best effort to resolve the issue and declined to comment further.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation also declined to comment on the issue. “There are official channels, and that is the preferred platform of engagement for us,” spokesman Chrispin Phiri said by text message on Tuesday.
China has applauded South Africa’s move, calling it a “right decision” to move Taiwan’s office outside Pretoria. “The one-China principle is the political foundation for China to establish and grow diplomatic relations with other countries in the world,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.
Beijing views self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has been working to diminish the island’s international presence by reducing the number of countries that recognize its statehood.
--With assistance from S'thembile Cele.
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