Earth Science News
TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan blames China for S. Africa's order to move liaison office
Taiwan blames China for S. Africa's order to move liaison office
by AFP Staff Writers
Taipei (AFP) Oct 18, 2024

South Africa has ordered Taiwan's representative office to relocate outside of the capital Pretoria, a Taipei foreign ministry official said Friday, blaming Chinese pressure for the decision.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has sought to whittle down the number of countries that recognise its claim to statehood.

"We have been asked to move our representative office out of the capital (Pretoria)," an official from Taiwan's foreign ministry told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"Our reasonable conclusion is that it is part of a series of actions by China to suppress Taiwan," the official said.

"We are still negotiating with South Africa in the hope that there will be room for change."

The official did not say when Pretoria issued the order or when the deadline was for Taiwan to move its office.

South Africa's foreign ministry defended the decision in a statement, saying it had been "mischaracterised" and was only meant to reflect Pretoria and Taipei's "non-political and non-diplomatic" relationship.

The Taipei Liaison Office (TLO), which is set to be rebranded as a trade office, "will be appropriately placed in Johannesburg, South Africa's economic hub," said Chrispin Phiri, South Africa's foreign ministry spokesman.

"This also aligns with standard diplomatic practice that capital cities are the seats of Foreign Embassies and High Commissions," he said.

According to the foreign ministry, the South African Liaison Office (SALO) in Taipei will also rebrand as a trade office.

Taiwan's semi-official Central News Agency said Thursday that South Africa issued the order on October 7 and gave the representative office until the end of the month to move.

According to Pretoria, Taipei was given six months.

China said Friday that South Africa had made the "right decision".

"Taiwanese independence advocates do not enjoy popular support and are doomed to failure," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

Taiwan has 12 diplomatic allies, with most nations, including South Africa, instead recognising Beijing.

In 2017, Nigeria ordered Taiwan to shut down its trade office in the capital Abuja in what Taipei said was an attempt by Beijing to push it out of the country.

Relations between Beijing and Taipei have been fraught for years and have spiked since Taiwan President Lai Ching-te took office in May.

Lai is more outspoken than his predecessor in defending Taiwan's sovereignty, with Beijing calling him a "separatist".

On Monday, China deployed fighter jets, drones and warships to encircle Taiwan in the fourth round of large-scale military drills in just over two years.

Taipei condemned Beijing's actions as "irrational and provocative", and the island's key backer and biggest arms supplier Washington called them "disproportionate".

Beijing said the drills were a "stern warning to the separatist acts of 'Taiwan Independence' forces".

Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TAIWAN NEWS
China toughens Taiwan stance over president's sovereignty defence
Taipei (AFP) Oct 17, 2024
China has reacted more robustly to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's rhetoric defending the island's sovereignty than his predecessor's, with fiery threats and war games analysts say will likely intensify. Since Lai succeeded Tsai Ing-wen in May, China has staged two large-scale military drills around the island - most recently on Monday - and verbally attacked the new leader at every turn over his speeches and comments. Beijing calls Lai a "separatist" and has accused him of escalating tensi ... read more

TAIWAN NEWS
Drones offer efficient monitoring of maize re-growth

Water crisis threatening world food production: report

German sheep farmers feel abandoned in bluetongue crisis

Global wine production stuck in a rut: trade body

TAIWAN NEWS
Climate-hit Pacific Islands plot landmark UN court case

Plankton inflate to six times their size for oceanic migration

The long walk for water in the parched Colombian Amazon

Global coral bleaching event biggest on record: US agency

TAIWAN NEWS
Public money 'must be at core' of new climate pact: UN's Stiell

Draft UN climate pact leaves open thorny question of money

Historic southern Africa drought starving millions: UN

World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts

TAIWAN NEWS
Computer simulations offer new insights into enhancing solar cell materials

Streamlined perovskite solar cells offer path to cheaper, more efficient energy

Telescopes could help power isolated communities in Chile's Atacama Desert

UK announces new investment in green energy projects

TAIWAN NEWS
Baylor engineers introduce ultra-clean biofuel combustion technology

Innovative catalyst converts CO2 to methane using electricity

Construction of largest research facility for e-fuel production begins in Germany

New process converts plant waste into sustainable jet fuel

TAIWAN NEWS
Revolutionizing crisis response across Europe with the Safeplace Initiative

Ciseres AI satellites aim to revolutionize disaster response

Carnage of Israeli air strike adds to misery in north Gaza

El Salvador Congress votes to legalize unregistered guns

TAIWAN NEWS
Husker researchers assess hydrogen energy potential from ancient rift

Oil-rich Iraqi Kurdistan votes, shadowed by economic struggles

U.S. stealth bombers strike 'hardened' underground weapons sites in Houthi-run parts of Yemen

Shell pipeline oil leak in Singapore contained

TAIWAN NEWS
Britain's Lammy calls for 'more diplomacy' with China

Asian markets rise as China economy tops forecasts, gold hits record

China posts slowest growth in over a year as property woes drag

Global markets mixed as investors weigh earnings and China GDP

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.