Taiwan has turned down South Africa’s request to relocate its representative office from Pretoria, the capital, to Johannesburg, the commercial hub.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu stated during a news conference that the request to relocate or close the office breached a 1997 agreement between the two Nations. “The South African government’s demands have violated the 1997 agreement between Taiwan and South Africa, which stipulates that both parties can set up offices in each other’s country. Our side will never accept the unreasonable demands of the South African government,” he said.

South Africa has a liaison office in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, reflecting a robust commercial relationship between the two.