International relations department denies bowing to pressure on Taiwan

The department of international relations on Friday dismissed suggestions that its demand that Taiwan move its offices from Pretoria to Johannesburg was made under pressure from China.

The government has given Taipei six months to relocate its offices from the diplomatic capital to Johannesburg. That timeframe closes at the end of this month.

The request was “standard diplomatic diplomatic practice” said department spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.

South Africa severed political and diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997. 

“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,” Phiri said in a statement.

He added that as the country’s economic hub, Johannesburg was an appropriate location for Taiwan’s trade office.

“This also aligns with standard diplomatic practice that capital cities are the seats of foreign embassies and high commissions,” he said.

Phiri described Taiwan’s continued presence in Pretoria as an anomaly and said several discussions were held with the Taipei liaison office (TLO) regarding correcting this.

“The TLO were given a reasonable six months to make the move. The same was communicated via the South African liaison office in Taipei by South Africa’s representative to the territory.”

Phiri described reports that the government was acting under duress as a “mischaracterisation” of the facts, but the Democratic Alliance (DA) said it believed this was indeed the case.

“It is clear that pressure is being brought to bear on Pretoria by external actors in the context of both broader geopolitical tensions, and the newly formed government of national unity (GNU),” said the party’s spokesperson on international relations, Emma Powell.

She added that the government should resist being dictated to if it were to demonstrate its oft-stated commitment to the principles of non-alignment.

Noting that South Africa exports significant goods to Taiwan annually, Powell warned against back-tracking on a long-standing agreement with Taipei on its presence in the country.

“It is critical that Taiwan continues to enjoy consular and trade representation on the same basis that they have done since 1998,” she said.

Powell said the DA would press the point in the GNU and demand that a decision be reached by consensus.

“The ANC no longer enjoy an outright majority, and as such, are no longer at liberty to unilaterally determine South Africa’s foreign policy positions without consulting their partners in government,” Powell said.

“Should the national executive wish to renegotiate the terms of this bilateral agreement, consensus must first be sought within the GNU.”