ActionSA Parliamentary Chief Whip Lerato Ngobeni said on Wednesday that government’s decision to relocate the Taiwanese Liaison Office from Pretoria to Johannesburg undermined mutual respect and diplomatic courtesy that should be extended to all foreign representatives.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said the move formed part of South Africa’s foreign policy position of China’s sovereignty over Taiwan.

ActionSA expressed deep concerns with the move, urging government to realign its engagement on the matter.

“This is especially important in relation to those who have maintained friendly diplomatic ties and beneficial trade relations with the Republic—partnerships we must safeguard in an increasingly volatile global environment,” she said.

ActionSA said the move was in “direct contradiction to the principles of mutual respect and cooperation” that South Africa champions on the global stage.

Ngobeni noted Lamola’s response to the party’s parliamentary question on the issue and argued that while it is within the government’s right to determine the location of foreign missions, it must be exercised with fairness.

“ActionSA reiterates that this authority must be exercised with fairness and in a manner that upholds the principles of diplomacy—not through acts of coercion that resemble bullying,” she said.