Taiwan has accused China of increasing pressure on South Africa.

This is mentioned in a statement from Taiwan's foreign affairs ministry, as reported by Ukrinform.

The document indicates that diplomats from both sides have been discussing the vision and prospects for future relations between Taiwan and South Africa since October of last year, including the relocation of the island's official representation, known as the Taipei office, from Pretoria to another city.

“At the end of January, the South African government sent a letter requesting that we move from Pretoria by the end of March and even lower the level of our representation in South Africa by renaming it as a 'trade office',” the statement reads.

It notes that this demand came after the recent announcement of sanctions by the Chinese government against the leader of the second-largest local political party, the Democratic Alliance, Ivan Meyer, for his visit to the Taiwan representation in Pretoria.

“The demand for a swift relocation of the Taiwanese office from the capital indicates increased pressure from China on South Africa to limit any presence of Taiwan in the country,” the island's foreign ministry believes.

Taipei has also urged the South African government to adhere to the legal framework of bilateral relations established in 1997 and to refrain from taking any coercive actions against the Taiwanese mission.

The Republic of South Africa severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1997 and established them with China, with which it has developed very close cooperation and which has been its largest trading partner in recent years.

Taiwan maintains diplomatic relations with only 12 countries, of which there is only one left in Africa, Eswatini, a small kingdom in the southeastern part of the African continent with a population of about 1 million, almost entirely surrounded by South Africa.

The Chinese government considers the island of Taiwan, which has never been part of the PRC and is governed by its own administration, as its province and threatens to use force to "reunify" it with the mainland. In recent years, Beijing has intensified pressure on Taiwan's diplomatic allies to force them to sever ties with it and isolate the island in the international arena.

As reported by Ukrinform, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has called on international organizations to stop excluding the country from their ranks for political reasons and to allow the island to participate in addressing global challenges.