Backlash as Taiwan gets kicked out

EVICTION: US ENTERS THE FRAY AFTER SA ORDERS OFFICE OUT OF PRETORIA

- Eric Naki

By evicting the Taiwanese representative's office from Pretoria, South Africa may have opened a can of worms - the United States could enter the fray after a Republican senator called on secretary of state Anton Blinken to act.

The situation is getting worse as South Africans living and working in Taiwan are beginning to feel the impact of the Taiwan-South Africa fallout.

Some banks in Taiwan have begun barring South African expatriates from doing transactions as an apparent retaliation for the government's action.

An expat, Hein van der Merwe tweeted on the expatriates' group: "I have used the Bank of Taiwan online banking to transfer money to South Africa for years, now they say I can't."

US Republican senator Marsha Blackburn yesterday requested the Biden administration not to tolerate the South African move.