Taipei's loss is Beijing's gain

For South Africa, it is a case of "out with the old, in with the new" as the year draws to a close. The old, of course, is Taipei and the new is Beijing.

After holding talks in Cape Town on Sunday with Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, South African President Nelson Mandela insisted that Pretoria will have no diplomatic relations with Taiwan in any shape or form after January 1. Mr. Qian, who is in South Africa to oversee South Africa's transfer of recognition from Taipei to Beijing on New Year's Day, was clearly pleased when Mr. Mandela reiterated that his government accepts that there is only one China.

While there is nothing new about this diplomatic switch, which was announced last year, it is nevertheless a major blow for Taiwan. The island will lose the last major country to recognize Taipei. Since South Africa is one of the largest countries in Africa, Beijing also will be boosting its presence and its influence on the African continent. The move will bolster China's clout as an Asian power too. Beijing, which is not usually considered a first-ranking power on the global stage, needs the moral support of developing countries when defending itself on issues such as human rights at meetings of international organizations.

How will this latest move affect cross-straits relations? Beijing might be well-advised not to go too far to isolate Taipei, something that might have negative effects. It might even encourage the independence movement on the island. It has been announced that Taiwan will have a number of liaison offices in South Africa. This is one area where Beijing should not be too harsh. Beijing clearly cannot represent the 20 million people of Taiwan. The needs of the ordinary people of Taiwan to do business and to enjoy convenient travel should be respected. These are, after all, individual and commercial matters that are not directly related to sovereignty.

-- The Hong Kong Standard