The foreign minister of Taiwan has told his country's parliament that SA is violating a 1997 agreement between the two countries.

Taiwan is defying the South African government and says it will not vacate its offices in Pretoria by the end of October as SA has demanded.

Taiwan's foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, told his country's parliament on Monday that his ministry has informed the South African government about this decision, according to a report by Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA).

"Our office is still in operation and will stay in the capital," he was reported as saying.

The report said the minister accused the South African government of violating an agreement it had signed with Taipei in 1997, after Pretoria announced in December 1996 its intention to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing.

According to CNA, Lin told parliament that the 1997 agreement stipulated that Taiwan could continue to operate a liaison office in Pretoria after official diplomatic relations between the two countries ended.

Lin noted that South Africa had likewise been allowed to maintain a presence in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

Taiwan has maintained its office in Pretoria for 26 years after its diplomatic relations with South Africa...