South Africa has asked Taiwan to relocate its de facto embassy, the “Taipei Liaison Office,” from Pretoria (the administrative capital) to Johannesburg (its commercial capital) and rebrand it as a trade office. The government gave Taiwan until March 2025 to comply, citing that the current setup no longer reflects the "non-diplomatic, trade-focused" nature of their interactions.
Taiwan, however, has firmly rejected the demand. It argues the request violates a 1997 agreement that allows its representative office in Pretoria to function in its current status and location. Taipei’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described the relocation demand as unreasonable and politically motivated, accusing South Africa of yielding to pressure from Beijing.
In mid-2025, South Africa escalated the changes: the Liaison Office was officially renamed on government platforms to the "Taipei Commercial Office", and Pretoria-listed diplomatic status was removed. Reports also show the office’s official email address was changed from a Taiwanese government domain to a local South African one—symbols seen as further downgrading.
In response, Taiwan threatened retaliation. Possible measures included suspending bilateral cooperation projects, stricter visa policies, and possible economic countermeasures. The issue has also drawn attention in international media and among human rights diplomacy watchers as reflecting larger pressure from China on countries with unofficial relations with Taiwan.
Interestingly, the dispute entered a new phase in September 2025 when Taiwan announced it would impose export controls on semiconductor products destined for South Africa, products critical to tech manufacturing, unless talks resolved the issue. But shortly after, Taiwan suspended those control plans, saying discussions with South Africa had begun in earnest.
Looking ahead, the stakes are high as South Africa is reinforcing its public alignment with the One China policy, which sees Beijing as the only legitimate government of “China,” including Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwan is trying to protect its limited international space, especially in Africa, where diplomatic allies are few. The outcome will likely impact trade, tech cooperation (particularly chip supply), and how other nations weigh Beijing’s influence.
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