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Paper short abstract:

This paper analyzes South Africa-Asia economic relations through narration of episodes involving an air route with changing functions during the apartheid to post-apartheid transition, and coinciding with China's emergence as a global economic power.

Paper long abstract:

This paper analyzes South Africa-Asia economic relations through narration of episodes involving an air route with changing functions during the apartheid to post-apartheid transition, and coinciding with China's emergence as a global economic power.

South African Airways (SAA) Flight 295 crashed into the Indian Ocean before its scheduled stopover in Mauritius, en route to Johannesburg, on November 29, 1987. More than half its passengers were from Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong, and there were no survivors. During this period, Taiwanese immigration and investment were at their height. It was suspected that the flight was carrying explosives that contravened international arms sanctions against South Africa. Despite two government inquiries, a cause was never substantiated. I will analyze documents on the passengers (biographies, obituaries, reports, blogs, etc.)and their families, their work in Asia and South Africa, and relevant trade and immigration patterns.

The Johannesburg-Taipei air route became a source of controversy again in 1996 when the Chinese government pressured the post-apartheid government to recognize Beijing. On the eve of Hong Kong's transfer to China, the Chinese government threatened to deny SAA landing rights in Hong Kong if it continued to fly to Taipei. The South African government decided to recognize Beijing, precipitating the exodus of many Taiwanese entrepreneurs and the influx of Chinese entrepreneurs. In 2010, China invited South Africa to join BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) which seeks to build successful South-South development strategies, precipitating a more state-controlled model of economic development.