TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said South Africa's demand for the Taipei Liaison Office to move out of Pretoria signals increased Chinese pressure.

The ministry said that in October, the South African government demanded that the office be relocated, but Taiwan refused to accept any unilateral changes to the status quo and engaged in diplomatic discussions. In January, South Africa repeated its demand that the office be moved and set the end of March as the deadline. 

MOFA said South Africa has attempted to downgrade the representative office and recategorize it as a trade office. The ministry said that the new demand amid negotiations “shows China’s suppression of Taiwan in South Africa has intensified.”

The ministry also pointed out that Ivan Meyer, federal chair of South Africa’s second-largest party, the Democratic Alliance, was sanctioned by China for recently visiting Taiwan.

In response to South Africa’s renewed pressure to relocate the office, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) convened an emergency response team over the Lunar New Year holiday. Lin instructed Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Anthony Ho (賀忠義) to summon South Africa’s newly appointed representative to Taiwan, Zakhele Mnisi, to express Taiwan’s concerns.

MOFA reiterated that Taiwan rejects South Africa’s unilateral breach of bilateral agreements. The ministry said Taiwan will continue to communicate with South Africa based on the principles of equality and dignity. 

The ministry also urged the South African government, as the host of this year’s G20 summit, to abide by the 1997 legal framework for bilateral relations. Until Taiwan and South Africa reach a mutual agreement through negotiations, MOFA calls on South Africa to refrain from taking any coercive measures against Taiwan’s representative office or any actions that could disrupt its operations and services for overseas Taiwanese.