Media Statement
02 January 2017
Foreign visits must be coordinated and seek to advance South Africa's foreign policy and national interests.
The Deparment of Internarional Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) wishes to place it on record that the recent trip to the city of Taipei in Taiwan, undertaken by Councilor Solly Msimanga, Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, was in breach of South Africa's foreign policy and is highly regretted.
The Department was made aware of the visit and advised Mayor Msimanga not to undertake the visit as it would constitute a breach of our One China Policy. In a move that is highly regrettable, Mayor Msimanga disregarded DIRCO's advise and proceeded with the visit.
Taiwan is not recognized as a sovereign state by South Africa and the United Nations. South Africa maintains a Liaison office in Taipei as does the Taiwanese in Pretoria. The Liaison Office does not enjoy the status of an Embassy. The Liaison offices arrangement was agreed upon to facilitate people to people contact. It has no political mandate and therefore interaction between political office bearers is not allowed.
Section 84 (2) (h) (i) of the Constituion enjoins the President of the Republic with the powers and responsibilities to conduct South Africa's foreign relations. DIRCO implements our country's foreign relations, in consultation with the Presidency and other government departments.
Cabinet has in the past decided that representatives of government across all three spheres coordinate all their foreign engagements with DIRCO so as to ensure synergy and maintain a cohesive approach in dealing with any international entity or government.
South Africa enjoys strong and mutual diplomatic and trade relations with the People's Republic of China. The two countries share membership of, and participate as partners on numerous international bodies, including BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), the BASIC Group on Climate Change (Brazil, India and China), the Group of 77 + China and the G20. South Africa and China are also Co-Chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
China is South Africa's biggest trading partner and is also the second biggest economy in the world. Our bilateral relations with China are facilitated and guided broadly through the following mechanisms:
- The Beijing Declaration Establishing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership;
- The Bi-National Commission;
- The Joint Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Cooperation (JWG);
- The Strategic Dialogue Mechanism; and
- The 5-10 Year Strategic Framework on Cooperation signed in 2014, which serves as an overall implementation plan with respect to all existing agreements and frameworks.
Representatives of any sphere of government must ensure that their engagements with international entities are aligned to existing mechanism and programmed and that such relations are coordinated in a manner that advances South Africa's foreign policy and national interests.
Statement issued by Mr Clayson Monyela, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), 2 January 2017
