Durban [South Africa], May 22 : South Africa has reduced the status of Taiwan's liaison office in the nation, further limiting the island's diplomatic presence, reflecting China's growing influence internationally, as reported by Radio Free Asia (RFA).
In 1997, South Africa cut official diplomatic ties with Taiwan and acknowledged Beijing as China's legitimate government. However, for the last thirty years, it has maintained unofficial relations with Taipei as well as a trading partnership, as indicated by RFA.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa has now reclassified the Taiwan Liaison Office, which operates like a de facto embassy without official diplomatic recognition, as a "Taipei Commercial Office" on its website, and has removed Taiwanese Representative Oliver Liao's name from the listing.
On Friday, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung alleged that China had pressured South Africa to implement these changes. He mentioned that the liaison office had asked to negotiate with the South African government regarding this matter.
China asserts that Taiwan is part of its territory and argues that the self-governing island has no right to independent diplomatic relations. Currently, Taiwan has formal diplomatic relations with only about a dozen countries, primarily smaller and less developed nations.
As a major diplomatic player and the largest economy in Africa, South Africa is important in a continent where China has established economic and security connections over the past two decades. Additionally, South Africa is set to host the upcoming Group of 20 (G-20) summit this year, as highlighted by RFA.
Relations between China and South Africa have significantly strengthened since they formalised their relationship in 1998. Currently, China is South Africa's largest trade partner, with their bilateral trade reaching USD 52.4 billion in 2024, compared to Taiwan-South Africa trade, which averages around USD 2 billion annually.
As a BRICS member, South Africa also partners with China on economic, political, and developmental projects, aligning with Beijing on reforms in global governance, as stated by RFA.
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