Durban, May 22 -- South Africa has reduced the status of Taiwan's liaison office in the nation, further limiting the island's diplomatic presence, reflecting China's growing influence internationally, as reported by Radio Free Asia (RFA).

In 1997, South Africa cut official diplomatic ties with Taiwan and acknowledged Beijing as China's legitimate government. However, for the last thirty years, it has maintained unofficial relations with Taipei as well as a trading partnership, as indicated by RFA.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa has now reclassified the Taiwan Liaison Office, which operates like a de facto embassy without official diplomatic recognition, as a "Taipei Commercial Office" on its we...