The government has formally notified Taiwan it will no longer recognise its diplomatic mission in Pretoria, reinforcing its adherence to the “One China” policy.
The move follows a previous request by Pretoria for Taipei to relocate its representative office to Johannesburg, aligning with the downgraded status of the mission to a liaison office rather than a full embassy.
In a published gazette dated July 21, the department of international relations &co-operation said the move was in line with the country’s post-apartheid foreign policy, which aligns with a UN resolution that recognises the People’s Republic of China as the sole representative of China.
“According to SA commitment to the One China Policy, SA has called upon Taipei to relocate its commercial office from the capital, Pretoria, to Johannesburg, which is more appropriate given its status as the country’s economic hub. The Taipei liaison office in Cape Town will be referred to as the Taipei commercial office in Cape Town,” the gazette reads.
SA will “recognise the Taipei commercial office based in Johannesburg, through which consular services will be rendered and through which non-diplomatic and non-political engagements will continue”.
China is SA’s largest trading partner, while SA is China’s number one trading partner in Africa. Total bilateral trade grew from R614bn in 2022 to R692bn in 2023.
SA severed formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1998 but still retains informal relations.
“In 1998, SA concluded a bilateral treaty with the PRC in which it formally established diplomatic relations, committed to the One China Policy and, in doing so, agreed to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan, while maintaining non-political, non-diplomatic engagements, focusing on technical co-operation in areas such as trade, investment, tourism, science and education,” the notice says.
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