TAIWAN TRIP
Basic lessons in diplomacy — in case the DA is confused over Taipei
Foreign relations exist within permutations that must be heeded in order to conform with the national position, writes Edna Molewa
The DA’s response to the furore surrounding City of Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga’s visit to Taiwan has been predictable, disingenuous and troubling. It has been predictable in that the DA tried to divert attention from the controversy by pointing to the ANC government’s longstanding trade relations with Taiwan as somehow evidence of a double standard at play. Screen grabs from the website of SA’s liaison office in Taipei and press releases of Department of Trade and Industry outbound trade missions were circulated as "evidence", even though such information is freely available and hardly a secret. It has been disingenuous in that this colossal diplomatic gaffe has been dressed in the pious language of "job creation", "promoting investment" and "picking up some opportunities" (Msimanga’s words). It has been troubling in that, with Msimanga’s rogue visit to Taipei, the DA has wilfully imperilled SA’s foreign relations, particularly with a major trading partner. Msimanga took an oath o...
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