Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested the South African government’s change of its representative office from ‘Taipei Liaison Office’ to ‘Taipei Commercial Office.’ This unilateral decision is part of a broader dispute as South Africa requires Taiwan to downgrade its office and relocate by March. MOFA argues that any changes should follow mutual agreement as stipulated in a past accord.
On March 16, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officially protested against the South African government’s unilateral alteration of Taiwan’s representative office name on its Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) website. The name “Taipei Liaison Office” has been changed to “Taipei Commercial Office,” which reflects ongoing tensions in Taiwan-South Africa relations, notably since representatives were ordered to vacate Pretoria.
The South African government is reportedly aiming to downgrade Taiwan’s office designation, with plans for it to operate instead as a trade office located in Johannesburg, the country’s commercial center. South Africa has mandated that Taiwan must adopt this rebranding and relocation by the end of March.
Last year, DIRCO stated that categorizing their relationship with Taiwan as involving trade offices, both in Taipei and Johannesburg, aligns with standard diplomatic principles. However, MOFA contends that an agreement from 1998, signed prior to the severance of diplomatic ties with Taiwan, permits the operation of a liaison office in Pretoria, emphasizing that name changes and relocations must be subject to prior negotiations.
MOFA has reported filing protests both through its office in Pretoria and directly to the South African diplomatic office in Taipei, contesting the name change as unilateral. Furthermore, MOFA criticized DIRCO’s invocation of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 as “unreasonable and unacceptable,” asserting that this resolution led to the People’s Republic of China’s recognition at the U.N., replacing the Republic of China as China’s representative.
The recent name change of Taiwan’s representative office by the South African government has instigated official protests by Taiwan. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists the alteration is unwarranted and disputes the South African government’s rationale based on historical agreements and diplomatic protocols. This development highlights ongoing tensions between Taiwan and South Africa and the implications of international relations tied to diplomatic recognition.
Original Source: focustaiwan.tw
