The South African government has given Taiwan an ultimatum to relocate its de facto embassy from Pretoria by the end of March. According to Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, South Africa’s government sent a letter in January demanding the embassy’s relocation and renaming as a trade office .
This move is seen as a result of Chinese pressure, as South Africa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997 and now only maintains formal relations with China. China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has been increasingly assertive in its “One China Principle,” which asserts that Taiwan is part of China.
Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims and maintains that it has the right to forge ties with other countries. However, Taiwan only has formal diplomatic ties with 12 countries, and in Africa, its last remaining ally is Eswatini, which is almost surrounded by South Africa.
China is South Africa’s largest trading partner globally, and the country is looking to expand cooperation in areas such as renewable energy. South Africa’s foreign ministry stated that it is coordinating with the Taipei Liaison Office regarding administrative matters related to accurately representing its diplomatic classification in South Africa .
