Taiwan rejects South African demand to move its representative office from capital

Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan has rejected South Africa’s demand that it move its representative office in the country from the capital, Pretoria, to the commercial center of Johannesburg. Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu said at a news conference on Tuesday that the demand to move or shut the office violated a 1997 agreement between the sides on the location of their mutual representative offices following the severing of formal diplomatic relations. South Africa also maintains a liaison office in Taiwan’s capital. Liu repeated Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung’s avowal at the legislature on Monday that Taiwan was “prepared for all eventualities” over the demand.