South Africa has once again thrown its weight behind China with regards to Taiwan. This comes ahead of next week’s inauguration of Taiwanese president-elect Lai Ching-te. All African nations except for Eswatini support a one-China policy. Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of China in South Africa, Li Zhigang has addressed a symposium in Pretoria on South Africa-China relations.
He was quoted as saying: “There is no room for compromise or concession. Seeking foreign support to gain independence is a dead-end. The scheme to use Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail. Peaceful cross-Strait reunification under the one-China principle will bring huge opportunities for the economic and social development in the Taiwan region”.
There was strong support at the symposium facilitated by the Chinese embassy, by government and ANC leaders.
Taiwan has been adamant that it will not move towards reunification. It also has strong allies in it’s attempt to remain independent. The U.S. and Taiwan navies secretly conducted joint drills in the Pacific in April.
Reuters reported that the two militaries have boost cooperation amid rising Chinese military threats. Washington and Taipei have been expanding their military cooperation in recent years amid almost daily Chinese incursions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone and drills by Chinese forces near the island. U.S.-Taiwan military engagement, including visits and training, are kept low-key and are often not officially confirmed because of China’s objection to any military contacts between Washington and Taipei.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, which the island strongly rejects. Taiwan and the United States have no official diplomatic relationship, as Washington formally recognises Beijing but is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. One source told Reuters that although the “unplanned encounters” of the two navies involved mostly basic exercises, such drills are vital to ensure the two militaries can operate together in times of emergency.
The source added that the two navies also practised various tactical manoeuvres, including searching for underwater targets. China’s foreign ministry repeated its opposition to military ties between the U.S. and Taiwan, urging the U.S. to stop its “erroneous acts” of military collusion with Taiwan, and warning Taiwan authorities that seeking independence by force and resisting “reunification” would fail. China’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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