Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung accused South Africa of resorting to “little tricks” under Chinese pressure since last year, alleging that Pretoria has been systematically trying to alter the standing of Taiwan’s office
China is behind South Africa’s latest move to downgrade the status of Taiwan’s representative office in Pretoria, Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said.
Making the statement, he pointed to the growing pressure from Beijing as a key influence in the decision.
Lin accused South Africa of resorting to “little tricks” under Chinese pressure since last year, alleging that Pretoria has been systematically trying to alter the standing of Taiwan’s office. The latest unilateral changes are part of a broader pattern, Lin said, aimed at diminishing Taiwan’s international presence without direct diplomatic dialogue.
“Taiwan would not acknowledge the latest move by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO),” he added, though he did not elaborate on the practical implications of non-recognition, reported Taipei Times.
Lin’s remarks came after DIRCO quietly modified the designation and contact details of Taiwan’s representative office on its official website. The listed address was changed from “Pretoria” to “Johannesburg,” and the office was reclassified from “foreign representation in South Africa” to an “international organisation.”
Additionally, the office’s email domain was changed without consultation from the official Taiwanese government domain (@mofa.gov.tw) to a private South African telecom provider’s domain (@telkomsa.net), further indicating a distancing move.
This is not the first such adjustment. DIRCO had already renamed the office in early March, changing its title from the “Taipei Liaison Office” to the “Taipei Commercial Office.” South Africa’s government has, since last year, tried to relocate the office from the administrative capital Pretoria to the commercial hub Johannesburg and redefine it as a “trade office.” It had initially imposed an October deadline for the move, later extending it to March, Taipei Times reported.
Despite these changes, Lin confirmed that “the Taipei Liaison Office continues to operate normally in Pretoria.” He added that Taiwan still seeks to engage with South Africa and hopes for future bilateral consultations to address the issue.
According to Taiwan’s United Daily News on Friday, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has reclassified the “Taipei Commercial Office” under “International organisations represented in South Africa” on its official website, removing the previously listed address in Pretoria and the representative’s name, as well as updating the contact information to reflect Johannesburg.
A reporter from Taiwan island reviewed the official website and found that on the “Foreign Representation in South Africa” page under the “International Relations” category, the “Taipei Commercial Office” has been classified as being under the category of “International organisations represented in South Africa.” Additionally, the address and phone number in Pretoria for the office have been removed. The listed contact information now belongs to the “Office of Information Division,” with the address, phone number and postal box all located in Johannesburg. The email address has also been updated.
Media outlets on the island have also observed that the current “Taipei representative to South Africa,” Oliver Liao, has had his introductory text removed from DIRCO’s official website, leaving only information about three lower-ranking assistant representatives.
The so-called “ministry of foreign affairs” of Taiwan stated on Thursday that it continues to closely monitor developments in this matter, noting that it has previously expressed the desire for both sides to engage in negotiations and is awaiting South Africa’s response.
On December 31, 1997, South Africa broke off “diplomatic relations” with the Taiwan authorities and established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China the next day.
In September 2024, South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa visited China. During the visit, a joint statement issued by China and South Africa reaffirmed “South Africa’s commitment to the One-China Policy, recognised that there is but one China in the world, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. South Africa supports efforts made by the Chinese Government to achieve national reunification.”
In October 2024 and January 2025, the South African government sent two letters to the “Taipei representative office in South Africa,” asking it to move out of Pretoria. The DPP authorities immediately urged the US to put pressure on South Africa. In March 2025, South Africa reiterated its request for relocation and unilaterally changed the office’s name from “Taipei Liaison Office” to the “Taipei Commercial Office.”
