Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested the South African government’s unilateral change of Taiwan’s representative office name on its website. The alteration from “Liaison” to “Commercial Office” is part of a broader diplomatic dispute involving Taiwan’s status in South Africa. Taiwan asserts that previous agreements permit its office in Pretoria to remain unchanged until negotiations have occurred.
On March 16, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) formally protested the unilateral renaming of Taiwan’s representative office in South Africa by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). The office, previously listed as the “Taipei Liaison Office,” has been changed to the “Taipei Commercial Office” as part of an ongoing dispute regarding Taiwan’s diplomatic presence in the country.
MOFA has argued that the South African government is attempting to downgrade Taiwan’s status by categorizing the representative office as a trade office based in Johannesburg, rather than recognizing its original status in Pretoria. This reclassification, they state, misrepresents the nature of diplomatic relations.
According to MOFA, an agreement from 1998 allows Taiwan to maintain a liaison office in Pretoria. The South African government demands that Taiwan must relocate by the end of March, yet any changes are supposed to be negotiated beforehand. MOFA has expressed that the changes made are neither acceptable nor reasonable, especially as they reflect a misunderstanding of international diplomatic protocol.
In defense of its position, MOFA emphasized that any name or location changes for their office must be discussed and agreed upon through official negotiations. MOFA has officially protested the unilateral measures through its representative office in Pretoria and addressed concerns directly to the South African representative office in Taipei.
In summary, tensions have arisen between Taiwan and South Africa following the latter’s recent unilateral changes to the designation of Taiwan’s representative office. Taiwan maintains that the adjustments contravene prior agreements regarding its diplomatic office, while South Africa insists on rebranding to reflect a non-political relationship. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to contest these developments vigorously, advocating for negotiated resolutions moving forward.
Original Source: focustaiwan.tw
