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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 on Friday, he pointed to the growing pressure from Beijing as a key influence in the decision, Taipei Times reported. 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. (ANI)
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