PRESSER: TAIWANESE AMBASSADOR, I-CHENG LOH reax. SA's suspension of diplomatic ties with Taiwan

Record ID: 893595

  • Title: PRESSER: TAIWANESE AMBASSADOR, I-CHENG LOH reax. SA's suspension of diplomatic ties with Taiwan
  • Date: 28th November 1996
  • Summary: PRESSER: TAIWANESE AMBASSADOR, I-CHENG LOH reax. SA's suspension of diplomatic ties with Taiwan
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  • City: PRETORIA
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: 96NOV28R02
  • Story Text:PRESSER: TAIWANESE AMBASSADOR MR I-CHENG LOH re: South Africa's suspension of diplomatic ties with Taiwan

    15.35.34 EXTERIORS GATES OF EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA
    16.02.17 TAKING SEATS BEHIND TABLE
    16.03.35 AMBASSADOR: ...the announcement made by President Mandela yesterday of course was totally unexpected although I had 24 hours of warning by the President...I did not know he was going to make such an announcement; I thought he gave us 13 months to talk to the SA government...
    16.04.06 It is really quite unusual diplomatic practise but what has happened has happened. We are now reflecting on what can be done because we share in the President's desire to maintian constructive relations with the RSA.
    16.05.05 SAYING SAME THING IN CHINESE
    16.06.38 ...now ladies and gentlemen I am at your mercy [PRESS FUNNIES]
    16.07.06 ...it doesn't conform to international practise but I suppose Mr Mandela does want to utilise this interval to find some kind of satisfactory solution and I hope he will be right...
    16.07.38 CUTAWAY
    16.07.52 ...trade is trade; it depends on the bottomline which is quite different with investment; I think immediate affect - I don't think it affects too much but 6 or 12 months from now it's difficult for me to predict and I could never pretend to be a trade specialist...
    16.09.22 ...Mr Mandela assured me that the embassy that the relations will exist until December 31, 1997...
    16.10.02 ...I cannot pretend to speak for Mr Mandela. I don't know what went on in his mind...
    16.10.22 ...I was indeed led to believe through the President's many statements as recently as early in September that he would during the term of his office the relations would continue...
    16.11.22 WIDE ESTABLISHER
    16.12.08 ...yes official development assistance is long term & they are all governed by bilateral treaties or agreements and when the agreements no longer exist because one of the parties ceases to be a party...then some kind of review is necessary but this is too early for me to say and the review of course doesn't depend on me it depends on my government....
    16.12.57 ...I really cannot say how this would affect many of the ongoing projects...
    16.14.23 ...we view it from a totally different point of view from a different perspective. Others see this as a international relation; we see this as a simple matter of one country and I'm not referrring to SA alone, yielding to the pressure of the Chinese Communist regime...the Communist regime there, knew that they could not military take Taiwan. In the matter of economic competition they're trying very hard..we're still way ahead of them economically speaking & development so the only weapon left in their hand is to choke us off diplomatically & so the agument
    16.15.15 advanced by some South Africans who were for, who seem to be pro-Beijing...is really accepting their argument and says that due recognition is no option so by that they concede before they even started talking about this.
    16.15.42 Our point of view is different and I like to quote my vice-president & Prime Minister...this incident & similar ones in the past have demonstrated time & again the Chinese Communities authorities to box the Republic of China into a diplomatic corner & belittle its international status, completely disregarding the rights & interests ....
    16.21.09 CUTAWAYS
    16.23.44 WIDE ESTABLISHER
    16.24.15 CUTAWAYS
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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