Taiwan is threatening South Africa. Cape Town will lose access to chips?

Taiwan threatened South Africa with suspension of chip exports after Pretoria under China's pressure reduced the rank of Taiwan diplomatic facilities without consulting.

The South African Department of International Relations announced on Monday that Taipei's liaison office in Pretoria was renamed the Taiwanese Trade Office in Johannesburg, and a Taiwanese office in Cape Town was also subjected to similar degradation. Both offices were also reclassified from diplomatic missions to “international organizations” on the official website of the South Africa government.

According to the Taipei Times, China stands behind these changes, which are one of the main trading partners of South Africa. The Director of the Department of Asia and Africa, cited by Gazeta, called the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yen Chia-Liang called this decision “with a gross act of political submission to Beijing.”

On Wednesday, threats also fell on prettoria from the US President Donald Trump, who suggested that he was considering leaving the G20 summit, which is to take place in South Africa in November this year.

Trump's warning is a consequence of tensions between the USA and South Africa, on the basis of which there are issues such as the recently introduced agricultural reform introduced by Pratoria, its position in the pacification of the Gaza Zone by Israel and South Africa relations with Bracs countries, including Russia and China.

For South Africa, this is terrible news because it coincided with the expected announcement on Thursday the amount of duties, which will cover South African products exported to the United States.

South Africa has been trying to convince the administration of President Trump for months to reduce the previously announced 30 % rates, which has already been done, among others, by Japan and the European Union. (PAP)

tebe/ mal/