South Africa downgrades Taiwan's representative office as it deepens ties with Beijing
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The office, maintained since
Nelson Mandela 's administration cut formal ties with Taipei in 1998, has also been relocated from the country's
administrative capital of Pretoria to the commercial hub of Johannesburg, according to the website of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
However, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said in a briefing last week that the office remained in Pretoria.
Meanwhile,
Somalia has banned the entry, exit or transit of Taiwanese passport holders, an action seen as retaliation for Taiwan's growing ties with Somaliland, Somalia's breakaway region.
Taiwan's only official diplomatic ally in Africa is eSwatini, and only a limited number of countries host commercial or trade offices for the island. Experts said Taiwan's diminishing presence on the continent underscored a deepening alignment between African nations and Beijing, driven by their robust economic ties.
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William Lai vows to protect Taiwan security and industry in speech marking year as leader
William Lai vows to protect Taiwan security and industry in speech marking year as leader
Emmanuel Matambo, research director at the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Africa-China Studies, noted that Beijing was once very forthright and forceful about prying African recognition from Taiwan, and the deepening relationship had prompted African states to be reluctant to offend Beijing by giving Taiwan any prominence.
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