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Minister of International Relations (DIRCO) Ronald Lamola.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Ronald Lamola says although South Africa does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it has maintained trade relations with it.
South Africa officially ended its diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1997.
The department says the plan to relocate the Taiwan Liaison Office and change its name has been finalised.
Last month, the department gazetted a notice for the relocation of the office from Pretoria to Johannesburg and change its name to the Taiwan Commercial Office.
However, Taiwan’s representatives in South Africa say this contravenes an agreement that Taipei and Pretoria signed in 1997.
Lamola says the relocation is now a done deal.
He adds that the issue of the relocation of the Taiwan Liaison Office from their side is a complete since they have gazetted its relocation to the City of Johannesburg as a commercial liaison office.
“We have stated the reasons because our relations with Taiwan are at commercial level and trade. This is not just a South African phenomenon in many capitals across the globe Taiwan is the commercial city – it is not some South African exceptionalism,” says Lamola.
Video | Taiwan Liaison office relocation finalised:
