Chris Louw
More than a year after the inauguration of the ANC- dominated Government of National Unity, diplomatic ties=20 are still maintained with the small island of Taiwan,=20 whose independence is not recognised by China.
This, despite the African National Congress’ official=20 policy to establish diplomatic ties with China, an old=20 ally in the struggle against apartheid and home to a=20 quarter of the world’s population.
In ANC circles Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo is accused=20 of being “led by the nose” by senior officials in his=20 department from the previous dispensation.
During my recent visit to Beijing, China’s Deputy=20 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Changyi, made it=20 clear that the normalisation of diplomatic ties would=20 be “in the interests both of the people of China and of=20 South Africa”.
Wang was careful in formulating his criticism, saying=20 only that “our principles are in compliance with those=20 of South African leaders who (previously) promised to=20 break ties with Taiwan”.
However, earlier this month the influential Far Eastern=20 Economic Review, based in Hong Kong, reported that=20 Beijing was “angry that South African President Nelson=20 Mandela has yet to sever diplomatic ties with Taipei=20 and formally recognise the People’s Republic of China”.
Quoting a Chinese ambassador in Europe, the Review=20 writes that Mandela was being “stubborn”. Mandela is=20 accused of showing “no gratitude for the military and=20 financial support China gave the African National=20 Congress during the years of apartheid”.
China had expected South Africa to break off relations=20 with Taiwan soon after Mandela’s inauguration last=20 year, writes the Review.
Indications are, however, that Mandela is being=20 manipulated by National Party members in his Cabinet.
In NP quarters the ANC’s unwillingness to assume=20 relations with China is claimed as a “personal victory”=20 for Mineral and Energy Affairs Minister Pik Botha.
Botha, who as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the=20 previous government had always maintained close ties=20 with Taiwan, is said to have climbed on the “RDP=20 bandwagon” whenever the issue came up for discussion in=20
Promises by Taiwan to pump R1,2-billion into the South=20 African economy in support of the RDP, is said to be=20 cited by Botha as reason why diplomatic relations=20 should be maintained with the island-government. This=20 argument seems to hold sway with most Cabinet members.
At present, South Africa only has an “informal office”=20 in Beijing, known as the South African Centre for=20 Chinese Studies and with a career diplomat, Les=20 Labuschagne, in charge. The office enjoys no diplomatic=20 status and Labuschagne’s official position is that of=20
China has a similar office in Pretoria, headed by Ji=20 Peiding, a former Chinese ambassador to Windhoek in=20 Namibia. Ji was recently reported as saying that he was=20 “tired of lobbying the ANC without any results”.
Officials in Beijing told the M&G that although China=20 was “prepared to wait”, the issue would have to be=20 resolved sooner or later. The re-integration with China=20 of the British-controlled enclave of Hong Kong in July=20 1997 may prove a water-shed in relations between the=20 two countries.
At present, South Africa has a consulate in Hong Kong.=20 The future of the consulate, the M&G was told by Wei=20 Lingyan, deputy director in the Office of Hong Kong=20 Affairs in China, was presently being studied. It was=20 inconceivable that South Africa could have a diplomatic=20 office in a province of a country of which the=20 existence was not recognised.
It was recently reported that combined exports to China=20 and Hong Kong amounted to R2,7-billion against Taiwan’s=20
Chinese officials maintain that economic ties between=20 South Africa and Taiwan would not be affected by the=20 breaking-off of diplomatic ties. “Economics have their=20 own laws,” said Wang.
Beijing has consistently refused to recognise the=20 Taiwan “republic” ever since the regime of Chiang Kai- shek was overthrown by Mao Zedong’s Communist army in=20 1949 and established themselves on the former Japanese- owned island.
China’s official position is that Taiwan would be=20 allowed to continue with its capitalist economy under=20 the mainland’s policy of “one country, two systems”,=20 should it re-intergrate. The same would apply to Hong=20 Kong after 1997.
China is the home of 1,2-billion people, compared to=20 only 21-million people who reside in Taiwan. China is=20 also one of five permanent members of the United=20 Nation’s Security Council.