Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has rejected South Africa's demand to relocate its representative office in Pretoria by the end of October, labeling the request as "unnegotiable," according to the confidants.
Lin Chia-lung, reporting to the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign and National Defense Committee, stated that Taiwan would remain in Pretoria, citing a 1997 agreement mandating liaison offices in each other’s capitals.
Taiwan accused China of pressuring South Africa to relocate its representative office in Pretoria, citing increased Chinese efforts to limit Taiwan's presence in Africa. South Africa, however, denied the allegation, calling the move a routine diplomatic procedure.
South Africa cited the 1997 end of official political and diplomatic relations with Taiwan and announced that the liaison office would be renamed as a trade office and relocated to Johannesburg, the country's commercial hub.
Lin urged South Africa to uphold the 1997 agreement and engage in dialogue with Taiwan, threatening to relocate South Africa's office in Taipei in retaliation.