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Taiwan asked to close Madagascar office

Madagascar's government has asked Taiwan to close its office in the country, effectively severing the remaining ties between the two states, a Taiwanese official said yesterday.

Last year the Indian Ocean island withdrew the status of "special delegation" which had been accorded to the Taiwanese office, and has now asked the delegation to leave the country, Taiwan's representative Adrian Liu (劉時) said.

The decision follows a visit to China earlier this month by Madagascar's Foreign Minister Lila Ratsifandriamanana. Diplomats said China had put pressure on Madagascar to sever its links with Taiwan.

As a "special delegation", the Taiwanese officials had maintained economic and commercial links between the two countries without formal diplomatic ties.

After that status was withdrawn, Taiwan's office had confined itself to aid work, supporting Madagascar's poor, handicapped or victims of recent cyclones.

There are an estimated 13,000 people of Chinese origin living in Madagascar, more than half of whom claim Taiwanese nationality, officials said.
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