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Pretoria mayor visits Taiwan, defies South Africa ANC one-China policy
DEFYING South African foreign policy not to visit Taiwan without Beijing's approval, Pretoria mayor Solly Msimanga, from the main opposition Democratic Alliance party, went to Taipei to seek job-creating investment.
South Africa endorses the one-China policy stance of Beijing since it switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in late 1996, reports Bloomberg.
Mayor Msimanga was elected after his party the Democratic Alliance entered into coalitions with other opposition parties to oust the African National Congress (ANC) in local-government elections in August.
The ruling ANC has South African Communist Party (SACP) members in key roles, the late Nelson Mandela, having been revealed as a member, and the sitting national president Jacob Zuma, "is widely seen as being more conciliatory to the ideological demands of the SACP", according to Wikipedia.
Said South Africa foreign ministry spokesman: "Representatives of any sphere of government must ensure that their engagements with international entities are aligned to existing mechanisms and programmes and that such relations are coordinated in a manner that advances South Africa's foreign policy and national interests."
But the Democratic Alliance party spokesman replied: "Neither the ANC nor the national government it runs can dictate who DA mayors meet with in order to obtain job-creating investment."
Eighteen per cent of South Africa's trade is with China, with two-way flows amounting to US$32.6 billion in 2015.
South Africa endorses the one-China policy stance of Beijing since it switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in late 1996, reports Bloomberg.
Mayor Msimanga was elected after his party the Democratic Alliance entered into coalitions with other opposition parties to oust the African National Congress (ANC) in local-government elections in August.
The ruling ANC has South African Communist Party (SACP) members in key roles, the late Nelson Mandela, having been revealed as a member, and the sitting national president Jacob Zuma, "is widely seen as being more conciliatory to the ideological demands of the SACP", according to Wikipedia.
Said South Africa foreign ministry spokesman: "Representatives of any sphere of government must ensure that their engagements with international entities are aligned to existing mechanisms and programmes and that such relations are coordinated in a manner that advances South Africa's foreign policy and national interests."
But the Democratic Alliance party spokesman replied: "Neither the ANC nor the national government it runs can dictate who DA mayors meet with in order to obtain job-creating investment."
Eighteen per cent of South Africa's trade is with China, with two-way flows amounting to US$32.6 billion in 2015.
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