ISTANBUL

Taiwan said Thursday it has suspended plans to restrict exports of semiconductors to South Africa after Pretoria signaled readiness to hold talks on the status of Taipei’s representative office there.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said its envoy in South Africa received a message requesting dialogue over the future of the Taipei Liaison Office in Pretoria. In response, the ministry paused a decision to impose new export controls on integrated circuits, chips and memory products.

Earlier this week, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs announced that, starting in late November, exporters would need prior approval for 47 high-tech items bound for South Africa. The move was seen as retaliation against Pretoria’s demand that Taipei downgrade and relocate its mission.

Pretoria has long pressed Taiwan to move the office out of the South African capital and limit it to trade functions, citing its one-China policy and UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, which recognizes Beijing’s claim over Taiwan.

Taiwan set up the Pretoria office under a 1997 agreement. South Africa had set October last year as a deadline for relocation, which was later extended to March this year, warning that the office could be shut down if Taipei refused.

South Africa has since reclassified Taiwan’s mission. Its Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) renamed the “Taipei Liaison Office” as the “Taipei Commercial Office” on its website in March and announced further downgrading of both the Pretoria and Cape Town branches in July. DIRCO also began referring to them as “international organizations” rather than foreign diplomatic representations.

Beijing has welcomed Pretoria’s moves. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Wednesday praised South Africa for “resolutely moving forward the relocation of Taiwan’s institution.”

Taiwan, self-ruled since 1949, rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says it remains an independent state.