South Africa Renews its Demand on Taiwan to Shift Embassy Out of Pretoria

(2 Minutes Read)

Taiwan rejects this claim and says it has a right to forge relationships with other countries. It says negotiations between Taipei and Pretoria on the office move are ongoing. China is South Africa’s largest trading partner globally, and one with which it is looking to expand cooperation. Both countries are part of the BRICS bloc of developing economies.

South Africa has renewed its demand that Taiwan move its de facto embassy out of the country’s administrative capital, Pretoria. The Taiwanese foreign ministry said it had been given an end-of-March deadline to relocate, and that the embassy would be renamed as a “trade office”.

 The ministry blames Chinese pressure for the move, saying it shows Beijing’s suppression against South Africa is becoming more serious.

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https://trendsnafrica.com/taiwan-refuses-to-relocate-representative-office-from-pretoria-says-sa-violates-1997-bilateral-agreement/

China opened its embassy in South Africa in 1998, a year after Pretoria severed formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, over which Beijing claims sovereignty. Taiwan rejects this claim and says it has a right to forge relationships with other countries. It says negotiations between Taipei and Pretoria on the office move are ongoing. China is South Africa’s largest trading partner globally, and one with which it is looking to expand cooperation. Both countries are part of the BRICS bloc of developing economies.