Taipei, July 30 -- Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is considering restricting semiconductor exports to South Africa after the latter unilaterally downgraded Taiwan's representative offices in Pretoria and Cape Town, without prior consultation or bilateral agreement, as reported by the Taipei Times.

The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation announced the changes in the Government Gazette last Monday, stating that the "Taipei Liaison Office" in Pretoria had been renamed the "Taiwan Commercial Office in Johannesburg," while the Cape Town office was similarly renamed. Furthermore, both offices were reclassified from diplomatic missions to "international organisations" on South Africa's official websi...