---
title: "Taiwan says S.Africa gives March deadline to move office from Pretoria"
description: "TAIPEI, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The South African government has given Taiwan a deadline of the end of March to relocate the island's de facto embassy outside of the capital city Pretoria, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said, blaming Chinese pressure for the move."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-03-taiwan-says-s-africa-gives-march-deadline-to-move-office-from-pretoria/"
published: "2025-02-03T04:40:26"
updated: "2025-02-03T04:40:28"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 229
---

# Taiwan says S.Africa gives March deadline to move office from Pretoria

> TAIPEI, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The South African government has given Taiwan a deadline of the end of March to relocate the island's de facto embassy outside of the capital city Pretoria, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said, blaming Chinese pressure for the move.

By Reuters · Published 3 February 2025, 06:40 SAST · Updated 3 February 2025, 06:40 SAST

## Key points
- In a diplomatic tug-of-war that could rival a soap opera, South Africa is tightening its grip on Taiwan, demanding its de facto embassy pack up and rebrand as a trade office, all while dancing to China's tune as their largest trading partner.
- South Africa cut official diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997, maintaining close relations solely with China.
- Taiwan's Foreign Ministry reported South Africa demanded the closure of its de facto embassy in Pretoria by March.
- The demand reflects increasing Chinese pressure on South Africa, though negotiations between Taiwan and South Africa continue.
- Taiwan, with only 12 formal diplomatic allies globally, has just one remaining partner in Africa: Eswatini.

## Content

South Africa severed official diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997 and only maintains formal - and very close - relations with China, which views the democratically governed island as Chinese territory with no right to the trappings of a state.

In a statement late on Sunday, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said South Africa's government had sent a letter in late January demanding the de facto Taiwanese embassy leave Pretoria before the end of March and "even be renamed as a trade office".

The demand "shows China's suppression against us in South Africa is becoming more serious", it added, saying, however, that negotiations between Taiwan and South Africa were ongoing.

The de facto South African embassy in Taipei did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and neither did China's Foreign Ministry.

South Africa had previously made a request last year for what is called the Taipei Liaison Office to leave Pretoria.

China is South Africa's largest trading partner globally and one with which it is looking to expand cooperation in areas such as renewable energy.

Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims and says it has a right to forge ties with other countries.

Taiwan only has formal diplomatic ties with 12 countries, and in Africa it only has a single ally left, Eswatini, which is almost entirely surrounded by South Africa.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sandra Maler)