The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola to urgently repeal the Government Gazette of July 21, 2025, which removed formal recognition of the Taipei Liaison Office in Pretoria, deferring to the One China Policy, saying the decision is in direct conflict with South Africa’s national interest.

The move signals government’s mounting pressure on Taiwan to move out of its Pretoria office and relocate to Johannesburg.

Taiwan has rejected and strongly protested the “unilateral action” and said it would “take appropriate action in accordance with the circumstances”.

DA spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation Ryan Smith said a decision by Taiwan to formally restrict the export of its world-leading silicone semiconductor chips to South Africa, following the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s (Dirco’s) irrational decision to downgrade the status of the Taiwanese Foreign Mission, would decimate South Africa’s manufacturing industry, compromise the country’s  industrial competitiveness, and shed tens of thousands of jobs in an already strained international trade environment.

Smith highlighted that Taiwan’s dominance in the production and supply of silicone semiconductor chips made them the preferred component for many of South Africa’s largest manufacturers, especially in the automotive, IT, and AI sectors.

“…restricted access to these crucial industrial components, as a direct result of Dirco’s reckless foreign policy under the African National Congress (ANC) and Minister Ronald Lamola, now directly threatens South Africa’s economy,” he said.

The party noted that Lamola’s assertion that the decision to downgrade the status of the Taipei Liaison Office in Pretoria was in line with international consensus was patently false.

“No such convention exists. Even among fellow BRICS member States such as Brazil and India, which understand the crucial role of trade with Taiwan for growth and manufacturing, Taiwanese Foreign Missions enjoy representation in the capital cities of Brasília and New Delhi, respectively,” explained Smith.

He stated that as an emerging economy, South Africa must deepen existing trading relationships and identify new opportunities to expand market access.

He added that South Africa’s recognition of the One China Policy should not come at the expense of diversified trade, economic growth, and jobs.

“South Africa is a sovereign nation that must pursue its national interest independent of external influence.

“By pursuing a foreign policy that forces us to choose trading partners, Dirco is undermining South Africa’s economic growth agenda and placing South African jobs on the line. There is no justifiable reason for South Africa to treat key trading partners with such contempt. South Africa’s foreign policy must always serve our national interest and not be subject to the ANC’s whims and outdated worldview,” said the DA.

Smith pointed out that considering the decrease in trade with Taiwan in recent years, Lamola should have attempted to boost the countries’ trading relationship rather than further undermine it.