China commends South Africa for moving the Taiwan representative office out of its capital Pretoria, said Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday.
Mao made the statement when asked whether China asked South Africa to close the Taiwan office.
"The one-China principle is the political foundation for China to establish and grow diplomatic relations with other countries in the world. It is also a universally recognized norm in international relations and where global opinion trends and the arc of history bends. We commend South Africa’s right decision to move the Taipei Liaison Office in South Africa outside the capital Pretoria. 'Taiwan independence' finds no support from the people and will only fail," she said.
China commends South Africa for relocating Taiwan office from its capital
The spillover effects of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are having a noticeable impact as far afield as Peru, a country highly reliant on energy imports, with the costs of transportation and daily supplies all climbing due to the hike in fuel prices.
Global oil prices have been rising as a result of the ongoing U.S.-Israeli-Iran conflict and concerns over the disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz -- a vital passageway that typically carries about one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade.
Prices in Peru have also been worsened in the country after a natural gas pipeline explosion in the Cusco Province last month, which caused a significant gas supply shortage.
At present, the prices of gasoline and diesel in Peru have doubled since the start of the conflict in late February, forcing companies to raise the costs of passenger and freight transportation to offset their losses.
Many are concerned that this will have a considerable knock-on effect which could hamper economic activities and ultimately harm the wallets of local residents who are being forced to pay the price.
"What's the worst is that transportation will affect all activities throughout the economy, including the passenger sector, both intra-city and inter-provincial," said Martin Ojeda, the leader of a transportation workers' union.
"Everything has become more expensive. Both daily necessities and transportation are all very expensive," said a local vendor in the capital Lima.
"Previously, a roast chicken cost me about 45 soles (12.8 U.S. dollars), but now it has risen to 60 soles (over 17 U.S. dollars). This doesn't fit my financial situation, so I have to give up a lot of consumption. People like me who live on pensions are greatly affected," said another resident.
Meanwhile, the prices of fertilizers like urea have risen by around 16 percent over the past month as a result of the conflict, with the Middle East being a major global supplier of fertilizers, as these spiraling costs are also affecting food production and animal husbandry in Peru.
Transportation, living costs rise in Peru as conflict rages on in Middle East
