South Africa asks Taiwan to move its unofficial embassy out of the capital

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa has asked Taiwan to move its unofficial embassy out of the administrative capital, Pretoria, in a move that's seen as appeasing ally China.

The South African foreign ministry said Friday that it had given Taiwan a “reasonable” timeframe of six months to relocate its “liaison office” to the commercial hub of Johannesburg. The decision was communicated to China last month by South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola when he was in China for the China-Africa summit, the ministry said.

South Africa severed formal diplomatic ties with the self-governing island of Taiwan — over which China claims sovereignty — in 1997, but has an unofficial diplomatic relationship with it, as do many countries.

The move comes during heightened tensions between China and Taiwan. Taiwan celebrated the founding of its government and its national day this month and again rejected China's claims of sovereignty. China then held large military exercises around Taiwan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said “we appreciate South Africa’s correct decision to relocate the Taipei liaison office in South Africa out of its administrative capital, Pretoria. Taiwan independence is unpopular and doomed to failure.”

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-long said his government would consider closing South Africa’s own liaison office in Taiwan, cutting off a major channel for travel, trade and educational exchange.

China and South Africa are both members of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, which will hold its annual summit in Kazan, Russia, next week. China is by far South Africa's largest trade partner.

Moving the Taiwan office out of Pretoria “will be a true reflection of the non-political and non-diplomatic nature of the relationship between the Republic of South Africa and Taiwan,” the South African foreign ministry said. It said the office will be rebranded a “trade office.”