South Africa has ordered Taiwan to relocate its de facto embassy from the capital, Pretoria, to Johannesburg, a move reflecting China’s increasing leverage over countries in the Global South. Taiwan’s foreign ministry confirmed that the relocation must be completed by the end of the month, underscoring the diplomatic challenges Taiwan faces as Beijing continues its campaign to isolate Taipei on the global stage.
This development comes at a time when South Africa and China are bolstering their relationship through high-profile diplomatic engagements and economic cooperation. In August, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited South Africa for the BRICS summit, where both nations solidified their ties within the framework of the BRICS economic bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). This visit was a symbol of growing Chinese influence in Africa, with South Africa emerging as one of China’s most important allies on the continent.
The relationship between South Africa and China was further strengthened during South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent visit to Beijing for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. During this visit, Ramaphosa reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to the “One China” principle, a cornerstone of China’s foreign policy. The principle asserts that there is only one sovereign state called China, with Taiwan as part of its territory. As a result, any country that recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is required to refrain from establishing official diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
According to a Taiwanese official quoted by Bloomberg, the order to relocate the embassy was given just four months after Xi Jinping’s high-profile visit to South Africa. The official indicated that the South African government had likely been subject to increasing pressure from Chinese diplomats to take action against Taiwan’s diplomatic presence in Pretoria.
China has been accused of using its growing economic clout to pressure countries, particularly in Africa and the Pacific, to downgrade or cut ties with Taiwan. Beijing’s diplomatic strategy often involves leveraging promises of investment, loans, and infrastructure projects in exchange for compliance with the “One China” policy. South Africa, as a major recipient of Chinese investments and a key player in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa, is seen as increasingly aligning its foreign policy with Beijing’s strategic objectives.
In response to the embassy relocation order, Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lim Chia-lung, is considering a range of countermeasures. These measures could include requiring South Africa to move its representative office out of Taipei, introducing stricter visa requirements for South African citizens, and suspending bilateral educational programs. Taiwan may prioritize its relationship with its sole African diplomatic ally, the Kingdom of Eswatini, which maintains formal ties with Taipei. The focus could shift to enhancing bilateral cooperation with Eswatini, including through the recruitment of teachers and development assistance programs.
This relocation order is part of a broader pattern of Taiwan’s diplomatic setbacks in Africa and other regions where China holds significant sway. China has long sought to weaken Taiwan’s international standing by encouraging countries to sever diplomatic or economic ties with the island, a strategy that has led to a shrinking list of countries that formally recognize Taiwan.
Taiwan’s list of formal diplomatic allies has dwindled to just 12 nations, following the recent decision by the Pacific island nation of Nauru to recognize the PRC earlier this year. Over the last eight years, Taiwan has lost 10 diplomatic allies, including several in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. This growing diplomatic isolation illustrates the challenges Taiwan faces in maintaining a presence in the international community, particularly in the face of China’s sustained diplomatic and economic pressure.
The diplomatic landscape has shifted rapidly in Africa, where many countries have chosen to align with Beijing. South Africa officially severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1998, a move mirrored by other African nations in recent years. In 2017, Nigeria took similar steps by ordering Taiwan to move its representative office out of the capital, reduce its staff, and eliminate the “Republic of China” designation from its office name. These actions were widely viewed as a result of pressure from Beijing. Taiwan responded by requiring Nigeria to move its office outside Taipei and summoned the Nigerian acting trade director to express its concerns over the harm to Taiwan’s diplomatic interests.
Despite the challenges posed by Chinese pressure, Taiwan has made some inroads in maintaining its international presence. Recently, Taiwan scored a minor diplomatic victory by inaugurating its third representative office in India, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Mumbai. This expansion of ties with India, a rising global power and a key player in the Indo-Pacific region, demonstrates Taiwan’s efforts to build relationships beyond its dwindling pool of formal diplomatic allies.
However, the establishment of the Mumbai office prompted a swift reaction from Beijing. China lodged a formal diplomatic protest, reiterating its firm opposition to any form of official interaction between Taiwan and other countries, especially major players like India. This protest reflects China’s broader strategy of discouraging any engagement with Taiwan that might lend legitimacy to the island’s government or sovereignty claims.
The relocation of Taiwan’s embassy in South Africa is the latest indication of China’s growing influence over countries in the Global South. As Beijing continues to leverage its economic power to isolate Taiwan, Taipei faces increasing diplomatic challenges in maintaining its international presence. South Africa’s adherence to the “One China” principle and its deepening ties with China underscore the geopolitical shifts taking place as countries navigate the complex dynamics of global power politics. For Taiwan, this situation highlights the importance of finding new avenues for international engagement, whether through informal diplomatic relationships, trade partnerships, or people-to-people exchanges, in order to counterbalance Beijing’s efforts to marginalize the island on the world stage.