The South African government has given Taiwan a deadline of the end of March to relocate the island's de facto embassy outside of the capital city Pretoria, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said, blaming Chinese pressure for the move.

Taiwan has expressed “grave concerns” about growing pressure from South Africa to downgrade and relocate its de facto embassy from Pretoria, the country’s administrative capital. The island’s foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that the South African government renewed a demand in late January asking the island to move its representative office out of Pretoria by the end of March.

Pretoria tried to 'downgrade our (Taiwan) office and rename it a trade office,' says Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry - Anadolu Ajansı

The current phase of talks with South Africa regarding its demand to move the nation’s representative office from Pretoria is “more challenging” than the first round due to intensified Chinese pressure, a source with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. On Oct. 7 last year, South Africa requested that the office move by the end of that month.

South Africa has given Taiwan until the end of March to relocate its de facto embassy from Pretoria, citing Chinese pressure for the decision. South Africa maintains formal ties with China, which claims Taiwan as its territory.

The South African government has given Taiwan a deadline of the end of March to relocate the island's de facto embassy outside of the capital city Pretoria, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said, blaming Chinese pressure for the move.