MBABANE:The South African Government has given Taiwan a deadline of the end of March to relocate the island’s de facto Embassy outside of the capital city-Pretoria, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said, blaming Chinese pressure for the move.
Reuters reported this week that, South Africa severed official diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997 and only maintains formal-and very close-relations with China, which views the island as Chinese territory with absolutely no right to the trappings of a State.
In a statement late on Sunday, Taiwan’'s Foreign Ministry said South Africa's government had sent a letter in late January demanding the de facto Taiwanese embassy leave Pretoria before the end of March and "even be renamed as a trade office".
On another note, United States(US) Senator Ted Cruz threatened to launch an investigation into the expulsion of Taiwan from the South African capital.
“The South African Government seems to be going out of its way to alienate the United States and our allies. Their timeline to expel our Taiwanese allies from Pretoria is deeply troubling, undermines the national security interests of America and our allies, and will deepen tensions between the U.S. and South Africa.I intend to use my position as the Chairman of the Africa subcommittee on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to investigate these and other concerning decisions by South Africa,” the US Senator posted on X this week.
Taiwan has maintained diplomatic ties with eSwatini but, the United Nations(UN) in terms of Resolution 2758 of 1971, regard Taiwan as a Chinese Province.
South African Government expels eSwatini diplomatic ally-Taiwan in Pretoria, Island told to move out of capital city and rename its Embassy “Trade Office” amid alleged pressure from China(pic:South China Post).